TRANSPORT

Bus Services: Disability

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to assess the effectiveness of voluntary bus driver training; and how he will take into account the experiences of disabled bus passengers.

Stephen Hammond: On 24 February 2014, my noble colleague Baroness Kramer wrote to the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), the principal trade association for the bus and coach industry, requesting information by 17 March 2014 on the structure and effectiveness of disability awareness training courses currently offered by operators to their drivers.
	A copy of this letter will also be sent to all bus operators who are members of CPT and disability stakeholders and charities with an interest in disability awareness training, seeking their input on this issue. All responses will inform the Government's review, in March 2014, of the use of an exemption applied under EU Regulation 181/2011, which exempts drivers from a requirement to undertake mandatory disability awareness training.

Bus Services: Disability

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the accessibility of buses to blind and partially sighted passengers.

Stephen Hammond: The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) outline specific requirements for the bus industry to ensure that buses are as accessible as possible for disabled passengers. These include facilities such as low-floor boarding systems, visual contrast on step edges, handholds and handrails and priority seats that can be of particular benefit to blind and partially sighted passengers.
	All new buses used on local or scheduled services to carry 22 passengers or more are required to be fully PSVAR compliant, and all buses will have to be compliant by 2015, 2016 and 2017, depending on the bus type.
	According to the Department's annual bus statistics (published in September 2013) 78% of the total bus fleet in England is now PSVAR compliant. We will continue to monitor compliance with the industry.
	In addition, my noble colleague, Baroness Kramer, wrote to bus industry representatives on 4 February 2014 to encourage operators to work with manufacturers of the relevant technology to look into the possibility of developing simpler and more affordable audio/visual announcement systems for buses that can provide benefits to as many passengers as possible.

Bus Services: Disability

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of (a) the number of new buses which entered into service in 2013, (b) the number of such buses which are fitted with audio visual next stop and final destination announcements and (c) the number of such buses so fitted which operate outside London.

Stephen Hammond: According to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) on 7 January 2014, 2,842 new buses were registered in the UK in 2013, along with 843 coaches.
	All buses in London currently operate with audio/visual announcement systems. Although we do not hold specific data from each bus operator on the number or percentage of new buses using audio/visual systems outside London in 2013, we are currently examining whether this information can be gathered as part of the Department's next annual bus operator survey, due to be published in the autumn.
	Research commissioned by the Department for Transport estimates that in 2012 there were 8,877 buses operating in England that offered audio announcements on the destination of the bus and the next stop, compared to 8,812 buses in 2011. This amounts to approximately 25% of all buses in England.

Gatwick Airport

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what effect expansion at Gatwick would have on runoff water levels in West Sussex and surrounding areas in cases of severe weather; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Goodwill: This Government established the independent Airports Commission to identify and recommend to Government options for maintaining this country's status as an international hub for aviation. Although a Gatwick airport option has been shortlisted by the Commission for further examination, its final recommendations are not due to be published until the summer of 2015.
	The environmental impacts of any proposed infrastructure development that might result from this process would be considered as part of the preparations for the detailed planning process to which the project would inevitably be subject, were it to go ahead.

Heathrow Airport

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether there are proposals to increase night flights at Heathrow Airport from 2015.

Robert Goodwill: The stage 2 consultation on night flying restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted ended on 31 January 2014. Officials at the Department for Transport are analysing the responses, and the Government will make an announcement on a new regime to commence in October 2014 this spring.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2014, Official Report, column 716W, on Office for Low Emission Vehicles, whether the £170 million projected to be unspent over the period 2010 to 2015 will roll over into the next Parliament in addition to or as part of the £500 million commitment for the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles from 2015 to 2020 referred to in the answer of 25 November 2013 to the hon. Member for Strangford, Official Report , column 102W, on fuels.

Robert Goodwill: No, as with all Government Departments, the Department for Transport underspends on particular policy areas are generally either used to cover other pressures within departmental budgets or are surrendered back to HM Treasury. The £400 million provision was for the period 2010-15.

Oxford-Hereford Railway Line

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2014, Official Report, column 389W, on the Oxford to Hereford railway line, how many through passenger services operated between Evesham and London Paddington in the year immediately before the partial redoubling of the North Cotswold line; and how many such services operate under the present timetable.

Stephen Hammond: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			 Timetable 
			  Monday-Friday Saturday Sunday 
			  May 2011 December 2013 May 2011 December 2013 May 2011 December 2013 
			 London-Evesham       
			 Direct services 13 15 14 14 12 12 
			 Indirect Services 12/21 21 0 0 0 0 
			        
			 Evesham-London       
			 Direct services 12 15 14 14 11 11 
			 Indirect services 11/22 22 0 0 0 0 
			 1 Bus service between Evesham and Oxford, train service between Oxford and London Paddington. 2 Change at Oxford or Didcot. Note: All figures relate to services per day

Railways: Franchises

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what enforcement measures he plans to make available to passengers under the Thameslink Great Northern Franchise if the franchise falls below the passenger satisfaction obligation.

Stephen Hammond: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him on 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 239W.

Railways: Franchises

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2014, Official Report, column 389W, on the Oxford to Hereford railway line, for what reasons he does not plan to ask train operators to break down the performance of individual routes within a large franchise area when publishing Passenger Charter figures.

Stephen Hammond: In the older form of Passenger's Charter used by First Great Western, specially calculated performance figures are used to show passenger eligibility for season ticket holder discounts. These figures are calculated differently from the Public Performance Measure and the 'right-time' arrivals figures, which are otherwise the main source of published performance data.
	Under the Delay/Repay form of Passenger's Charter, used by most other train operators, such information is no longer required for this purpose as it is individual journeys for which recompense is paid.

Railways: Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is taking steps to allocate intercity express programmes hybrid trains to be set aside to provide direct train links from London to Shrewsbury.

Stephen Hammond: The Class 800/801 fleet procured as part of the Intercity Express programme by the DfT will be used on the East Coast and Great Western main lines only. It will be for future operators of such a route to determine which stock would be best. They will able to approach Hitachi to negotiate the purchase of Class 800 bi-mode trains under normal commercial arrangements if they so wish.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Jammu and Kashmir

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to support self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Hugo Swire: We recognise the importance of finding a lasting solution to the situation in Kashmir, but it is neither for the UK to prescribe a solution nor to mediate in finding one. It must be for India and Pakistan to resolve, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Bangladesh

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role the UK is playing in resolving the political situation in Bangladesh.

Mark Simmonds: On 6 January my right hon. and noble Friend Baroness Warsi urged Bangladeshi political parties to work together to strengthen democratic accountability and build capacity to hold future elections free from intimidation and reprisals. She reiterated this message recently with the Bangladeshi Justice, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister.

Bangladesh

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the political situation in Bangladesh.

Mark Simmonds: We continue to encourage political parties to work together to strengthen democratic accountability and build the willingness and capacity to hold future participatory elections free from intimidation and reprisals. Parties are currently focused on local elections, and we continue to urge a refrain from political violence and intimidation.

Bangladesh

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the legitimacy of the recent Bangladesh general election results.

Hugh Robertson: The British high commissioner in Dhaka and officials in my Department have discussed the outcome of parliamentary elections with representatives from Bangladesh's political parties, other governments and international institutions. The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi, received the Government of Bangladesh's appraisal of the election results from Bangladesh's Justice, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister on 11 February 2014 and high commissioner Quayes on 23 January 2014. The election was also debated in Parliament on 16 January and 29 January.

Bangladesh

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the level of participation in the recent Bangladesh general election.

Hugh Robertson: Officials have discussed the level of participation in the recent Bangladesh general election with representatives of Bangladesh's political parties, other governments and international institutions, and civil society. The election was also debated in Parliament on 16 January and 29 January.
	The election took place on 5 January without the participation of the Opposition 18-Party Alliance, resulting in 153 out of 300 seats being uncontested. The Awami League gained a 2/3rds majority of 232 seats. Precise election day turnout is unclear due to the lack of independent elections observers. Estimates vary from as low as 20-22% to as high as 35-40%.

Bangladesh

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on alleged human rights abuses in Bangladesh.

Hugh Robertson: We engage extensively with human rights organisations and raise concerns with the Government of Bangladesh. We welcome assurances that they are committed to protecting human rights. The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi, discussed human rights concerns with the Government of Bangladesh during meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni when she visited Bangladesh on 12 December 2013.

Human Rights: Colombia

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on human rights in Colombia.

Hugo Swire: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), discussed human rights with President Santos and Defence Minister Pinzon during his recent visit to Colombia. The Secretary of State welcomed President Santos's commitment to zero tolerance of human rights abuses and underlined the importance of taking action on threats to human rights defenders and trade unionists.
	He also met human rights non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and hosted a high-profile event on sexual violence in conflict, supported by the Colombian Government, the UN and local campaign groups.

Ukraine

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on recent developments in Ukraine.

William Hague: I have made a statement today and I visited Ukraine yesterday. The UK is gravely concerned by the violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Exports

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress his Department has made on raising exports to established and emerging markets.

Hugo Swire: Total UK exports have increased by 12% from 2010-13.
	Established markets remain important for the UK, but it is exports to emerging markets which have driven our export growth. In this period, exports to South Korea have risen by 123%, to Thailand by 73.5%, to China by 63%, to Indonesia by 54%, to Russia by 45%, to India by 29% and to Brazil by 24%.
	We are undertaking a major programme to increase our diplomatic footprint in many of the major emerging economies.

Gibraltar: Spain

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters by Spanish state vessels occurred in (a) December 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and on which dates and by which Spanish Agency each of these incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters took place.

David Lidington: There were nine unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar territorial waters by Spanish state vessels in December 2013 out of a total 496 for the whole year, averaging 41 incursions per month. The breakdown by category is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Guardia Civil 6 
			 Customs 1 
			 Maritime Salvage 1 
			 SP Navy 1 
		
	
	There have been 77 unlawful incursions in 2014, as of 28 February. The breakdown by category is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Guardia Civil 53 
			 Customs 11 
			 Maritime Salvage 6 
			 Pilot Vessels 5 
			 SP Navy 2 
		
	
	We continue to make formal diplomatic protests to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about all such incursions. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks), raised his concerns with the Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Gonzalo de Benito, on 20 February. Unlawful incursions do not weaken or undermine the legal basis for British sovereignty over Gibraltar territorial waters.

Iran

Michael Ellis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he is making on the receipt of compensation for damage done during the attack on HM Embassy in Tehran in 2011.

Hugh Robertson: We have made clear to Iran the need to resolve the question of compensation for the damage caused to our embassy compounds in November 2011. The UK's non-resident Chargé d'Affaires is in discussion with his Iranian counterpart on the matter, as part of our emerging bilateral engagement with Iran.

Iran

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his Iranian counterpart for the release of Saeed Abedini.

Hugh Robertson: The UK Government is deeply concerned about the detention and treatment of Pastor Saeed Abedini; and has called publicly for his release and the end of all persecution of individuals on the basis of their faith. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised our concerns about human rights in Iran when he met Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif on 23 September 2013 in the margins of the UN General Assembly. We will continue to do so.

Spain

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the Spanish Ambassador was summoned to his Department in 2013; on which dates the Ambassador was summoned; and what the subject of discussion was on each such occasion.

David Lidington: The Spanish ambassador, His Excellency Federico Trillo, was publicly summoned twice in 2013. On 2 August 2013, he was summoned in order to underline the British Government's serious concerns regarding delays at the Gibraltar-Spain border.
	On 19 November 2013, he was summoned following a 22-hour unlawful incursion by Spanish oceanographic research vessel Ramon Margalef into British Gibraltar territorial waters. We also raised the British Government's concern about continuing delays at the border.

British Nationality

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for how long his Department holds information on people who have been deprived of their citizenship following orders made under section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981. [R]

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply 
	of behalf of the Home Department.
	Deprivation orders are made under section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981 under which the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), is empowered to deprive, by order, any person of any form of British nationality, subject to the appropriate test in section 40 being satisfied.
	The figures for each year are:
	(a) 2012: five orders issued on conductive grounds; fewer than five issued on fraudulent grounds.
	(b) 2013: eight orders issued on conducive grounds; 12 issued on fraudulent grounds.
	(c) 2014: 0 (zero) orders issued on conducive grounds; fewer than five issued on fraudulent grounds.
	The grounds for the deprivation orders that were made during this period were either that:
	the Secretary of State was satisfied that such deprivation was conducive to the public good and the person would not be made stateless as a result; or
	the individual obtained British citizenship by means of fraud, false representation or concealment of material fact.
	The nationality of the individuals who have been deprived of British citizenship since 2012 are as follows:
	Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Egyptian, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen.
	The deprivation decision is permanent unless and until it is revoked. In accordance with the Home Office's policy on information management, once a deprivation of citizenship order has been issued under section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981, records on the individual will be retained until he/she reaches the age of 75 or until his/her death.

HOME DEPARTMENT

British Nationality

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  for how long after an order under section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981 has been made her Department holds information on those deprived of citizenship; [R]
	(2)  how many people were deprived of citizenship during (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014 to date; what the nationality was of each such person; and what the ground or combined grounds were on which each deprivation order was made. [R]

James Brokenshire: Deprivation orders are made under section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981 under which the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), is empowered to deprive, by order, any person of any form of British nationality, subject to the appropriate test in section 40 being satisfied.
	The figures for each year are:
	(a) 2012: five orders issued on conductive grounds; fewer than five issued on fraudulent grounds.
	(b) 2013: eight orders issued on conducive grounds; 12 issued on fraudulent grounds.
	(c) 2014: 0 (zero) orders issued on conducive grounds; fewer than five issued on fraudulent grounds.
	The grounds for the deprivation orders that were made during this period were either that:
	the Secretary of State was satisfied that such deprivation was conducive to the public good and the person would not be made stateless as a result; or
	the individual obtained British citizenship by means of fraud, false representation or concealment of material fact.
	The nationality of the individuals who have been deprived of British citizenship since 2012 are as follows:
	Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Egyptian, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen.
	The deprivation decision is permanent unless and until it is revoked. In accordance with the Home Office's policy on information management, once a deprivation of citizenship order has been issued under section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981, records on the individual will be retained until he/she reaches the age of 75 or until his/her death.

British Nationality

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals requesting citizenship to the UK were refused on the grounds of failure to pass the Life in the UK text in 2013.

James Brokenshire: The refusal of citizenship is made on the basis that an applicant failed to demonstrate the required knowledge of language and life in the UK, rather than on failure to pass the Life in the UK test. There were 103 refusals of British citizenship in 2012 on grounds of insufficient knowledge of English and/or of knowledge of life in the UK. These figures were published as part of the latest quarterly Immigration Statistics update covering July to September 2013 in table cz 09. These statistics are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/259959/citizenship-q3-2013-tabs.ods
	Corresponding data on refusals of citizenship in 2013 are due to be published in the Department's quarterly Immigration Statistics update on 22 May 2014, and will be available from the Library of the House and at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Childbirth

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the number of live births that were not registered in each of the last five years despite a registrar writing to the parents; and what measures are available to registrars to ensure parents register live births;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of live births that were not registered in each of the last five years;
	(3)  what measures are in place to ensure that live births are registered.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 3 March 2014
	The number of unregistered births reported to the General Register Office (GRO) for England and Wales by registrars in each of the last five years are:
	
		
			  Cases 
			 2009 22 
			 2010 22 
			 2011 25 
			 2012 28 
			 2013 16 
		
	
	A birth is required by the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 to be registered within 42 days of its occurrence. If a birth has not been registered within the 42 day period, and the registrar is unaware of the reason why, they will contact the parents to register the birth.
	“Failure to register a birth is an offence under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953, with the potential sanction being a level one financial penalty, although practise would be for GRO to issue a further directive to register”.
	Although failure to register a birth is an offence under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953, current practice is not to seek convictions as the sanction is a level one financial penalty, rather than a further order to register.

Children: Abuse

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent advice she has received from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre on written material used in child sexual abuse.

Damian Green: The Home Secretary has received briefing from officials on the matter of written material and child sexual abuse, which included information on the NCA CEOP Command’s position on this issue. In addition, NCA CEOP Command has recently provided a short briefing paper on Child Sex Offenders and Written Material.

Counter-terrorism

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to counter the threat of letter-bomb attacks on Army recruiting offices on the UK mainland.

James Brokenshire: It is a long-standing convention of successive governments to refrain from commenting on ongoing police investigations. Any change in the security posture of Armed Forces Careers Offices will be a matter for the Ministry of Defence.

EU Accession

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of progress by (a) Bulgaria and (b) Romania against EU post-accession benchmarks.

Karen Bradley: The Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) was put in place to support and monitor Bulgaria and Romania's progress on specific post-accession benchmarks in the area of judicial reform, the fight against corruption and, for Bulgaria only, the fight against organised crime. The European Commission monitors and reports on developments in both countries. The latest CVM progress reports were published on 26 January and deposited for scrutiny in the usual way. The Government has endorsed their conclusions, which offer a comprehensive, balanced assessment of the progress achieved so far while drawing attention to those areas where further efforts are necessary. We believe the CVM should remain in place until the benchmarks are met.

Homicide: Children

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2014, Official Report, column 600W, on homicide: children, how many children each (a) male and (b) female offender murdered; and what sentences were given in each case.

Norman Baker: The available information is given in the table and expands on the data provided in the answer of 11 February 2014. The data given cover the period 2007/08 to 2011/12.
	The circumstances surrounding a homicide can be complex and it can take time for cases to pass through the criminal justice system. Due to this, there are a number of homicide cases where criminal proceedings have yet to reach a conclusion.
	
		
			 Table 1: List of suspects1 convicted for the homicide of one or more of their children2 and sentences received 2007-08 to 2011-12 
			 Year recorded Number of victims that were the child of the suspect Suspect gender Conviction Suspect sentence (duration in months where applicable) Further information on sentence 
			 2007-08 1 Female Manslaughter—Common law 48 — 
			 2007-08 1 Female Manslaughter—Common law 60 — 
			 2007-08 1 Female Manslaughter—Common law 60 — 
			 2007-08 1 Female Manslaughter—Common law 24 — 
			 2007-08 1 Female Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) 48 — 
			 2007-08 1 Female Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) Hospital Order with Restriction Order — 
			 2007-08 2 Female Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 1 Female Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 1 Female Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 72 — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 60 — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 20 — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 72 Detention in a Young Offenders Institution 
			 2007-08 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 54 Detention in a Young Offenders Institution 
			 2007-08 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 30 Detention in a Young Offenders Institution 
			 2007-08 1 Male Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) 72 — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment Detained under Children and Young Persons Act 1933 Section 53(i)(HMP) 
			 2007-08 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2007-08 2 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2008-09 1 Female Infanticide 36 Supervision Order—with other or no requirements CYPA 1969 Section 7 
			 2008-09 1 Female Manslaughter—Common law 11 Fully suspended sentence 
			 2008-09 1 Female Manslaughter—Common law 180 — 
			 2008-09 1 Female Manslaughter—Common law 108 — 
			 2008-09 2 Female Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) Hospital Order with Restriction Order — 
		
	
	
		
			 2008-09 2 Female Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) Hospital Order with Restriction Order — 
			 2008-09 1 Female Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) Hospital Order with Restriction Order — 
			 2008-09 1 Female Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2008-09 1 Female Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2008-09 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 90 — 
			 2008-09 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 30 Detained under Children and Young Persons Act 1933 Section 53(2) 
			 2008-09 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 9 Fully suspended sentence 
			 2008-09 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 42 — 
			 2008-09 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 60 — 
			 2008-09 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 132 — 
			 2008-09 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 60 — 
			 2008-09 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2008-09 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2008-09 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2008-09 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2008-09 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2009-10 1 Female Manslaughter—Common law Hospital Order with Restriction Order — 
			 2009-10 1 Female Manslaughter—Common law 48 — 
			 2009-10 1 Female Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) Hospital Order with Restriction Order — 
			 2009-10 1 Female Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) Hospital Order with Restriction Order — 
			 2009-10 1 Female Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) Hospital Order with Restriction Order — 
			 2009-10 2 Female Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2009-10 1 Female Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2009-10 1 Female Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 84 — 
			 2009-10 3 Male Manslaughter—Common law 144 — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 48 — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 60 — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 54 — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) 42 — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) 48 — 
			 2009-10 2 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2009-10 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2010-11 1 Female Infanticide Hospital Order — 
			 2010-11 1 Female Infanticide 12 Supervision Order—with other or no requirements CYPA 1969 Section 7 
			 2010-11 1 Female Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) Hospital Order — 
			 2010-11 1 Female Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) 36 Community Service order 
			 2010-11 1 Female Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) 144 — 
			 2010-11 1 Female Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) Hospital Order with Restriction Order — 
			 2010-11 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 60 — 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2010-11 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2011-12 1 Female Infanticide Hospital Order with Restriction Order — 
			 2011-12 1 Female Manslaughter—Common law 45 — 
			 2011-12 1 Female Manslaughter—Common law 14 — 
			 2011-12 1 Female Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2011-12 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 108 — 
			 2011-12 1 Male Manslaughter—Common law 96 — 
			 2011-12 1 Male Manslaughter—Section 2 (Diminished responsibility) 30 — 
			 2011-12 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2011-12 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 2011-12 1 Male Murder Life imprisonment — 
			 Total homicides 99 — — — — 
			 1 There are 91 suspects convicted of 99 homicides. 2 As at 1 November 2012; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and the courts, or as further information becomes available. Source: Homicide Index, Home Office

Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to her answer of 20 January 2014, Official Report, column 26W, on human trafficking: victim support schemes, what support services are provided by local authorities to victims of human trafficking after 45 days in shelters; what other mainstream support provisions are available; what support is provided to a person who wishes to return to their home country; and if she will make a statement.

Karen Bradley: holding answer 13 February 2014
	If a victim of human trafficking has recourse to public funds in the UK, they will have access to the full range of local authority and mainstream support services. Throughout the 45-day recovery and reflection period, a service that the Salvation Army and its subcontractors provide to adult victims of human trafficking, as part of the Government's victim care contract, specialist support providers work with victims to help them gain access to relevant services and to develop a move-on strategy.
	The Government's Assisted Voluntary Returns for Irregular Migrants (AVRIM) programme is available to non EEA victims of trafficking who wish to return to their home country. This programme is run in partnership with the Choices service of Refugee Action. The AVRIM scheme can provide support in acquiring travel documentation, a flight to their country of origin and onward domestic transport, and airport assistance at departure and arrival airports.
	Last December, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), announced her plans to introduce a Modern Slavery Bill and wider Action Plan. The draft Bill is currently being considered by the Pre-Legislative Scrutiny Select Committee. As part of that process, and prior to introducing the final Bill and publishing the Action Plan, we are considering what more can be done to support victims of slavery and trafficking.

Immigrants: Detainees

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people have been detained in immigration removal centres for the purpose of age assessment in the last 12 months; and how many were found to be (a) adults and (b) children;
	(2)  what the (a) average and (b) maximum length of time is that a person has been held in an immigration removal centre pending an age assessment in the last 12 months;
	(3)  what the (a) average and (b) maximum length of time is that a person who has been defined as an age dispute case has been held in an immigration removal centre pending release to local authority care in the last 12 months.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 20 January 2014
	Our policy is that we do not detain people for the purpose of undertaking an age assessment. Where there is doubt about whether an individual is an adult, they would be released into the care of a local authority for an age assessment.
	The Detention Service Order (14/2012) 'Care and management of age dispute cases in the detention estate' was implemented on 28 September 2012. This introduced the requirement to release individuals from immigration detention pending age assessment.
	The specific data requested in the hon. Member's second and third questions is not routinely recorded.

Police: Complaints

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department issues to police forces on circumstances under which it should refer a complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Damian Green: The Home Office does not issue such guidance to police forces. Statutory guidance on such matters is issued to police forces by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Annuities

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who switched annuities when they retired in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to encourage pensioners to switch annuities when they retire.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf the Treasury.
	The Government set up the ‘Open Market Option (OMO) Review Group’ in 2011 to consider how to make shopping around for an annuity a ‘default’. Their baselining exercise showed that, in 2010, 32% bought their annuities externally. Research by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) in 2011 shows that this figure had risen to 44%. Separate work by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found that, in 2012, 60% of annuities were purchased through the customer's existing pension provider or a third party with which their provider has an arrangement.
	Following the work of the OMO Review Group, the ABI's Code of Conduct on Retirement Choices, which came into effect in March 2013, requires all members to provide better information to consumers to help them shop around for the best annuity to meet their needs. The OMO Review Group will be evaluating the effectiveness of these measures. The FCA has also just launched a Retirement Income Market Study, which will assess whether competition in this market is working well for consumers. Further information, including a link to. the terms of reference, can be found here:
	www.fca.org.uk/news/market-studies/retirement-income-market-study

Employment Schemes: Disability

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the level of the cap on Work Choice referrals for each of the 28 contract package areas was in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Esther McVey: The Department has not placed a cap on referrals to Work Choice in any of the Contract Package Areas since the inception of the programme.
	Work Choice programme referrals are managed across Contract Package Areas in accordance with anticipated start volumes for each contract.
	The numbers of referrals required to achieve the starts profiles may fluctuate across Contract Package Areas, to take into account: Failed to Starts, drop outs from the programme etc.
	We do not impose caps on referrals, however, if referral levels are not managed appropriately and in accordance with this strategy we do have the option of suspending referrals until such a point that referral levels are brought into line with profiled starts expectations, but this would be seen as a last resort.

Pensions

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to help those with pensions which are worth significantly less than they anticipated when purchasing those pensions.

Steve Webb: It is important that promises made to pension scheme members are met. For defined benefit pensions—where the scheme sponsor promises a specified, usually salary-related, pension—we have a protection regime in place. This includes requirements on how schemes are funded and provision for member compensation.
	For defined contribution pensions, there is not a promise to the member on the amount of pension benefit they will receive as this will depend on factors such as the contribution level and investment performance.
	However, even when there is no promise, it is crucially important that members are given meaningful, clear and transparent information about their pension schemes by scheme managers and trustees. In recognition of this we have revised the disclosure regulations with effect from 6 April 2014 to simplify Statutory Money Purchase Illustrations' (SMPI) requirements. On 24 February we also announced new measures requiring transparency for transaction charges in pension schemes. We tabled an amendment to the Pensions Bill 2013 to introduce this latest step in the Government's wider plans to ensure consumers receive value for money from their pension savings. Accordingly, our response to the consultation on charges, and further proposals on quality and transparency in workplace pension schemes, will be published soon.

Work Capability Assessment

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason his Department has not published statistics on the number of people who have been declared fit to work and subsequently died; and whether his Department plans to publish such statistics in future.

Michael Penning: The Department does monitor requests we receive for new statistics and consider whether we can produce and release analysis that will helpfully inform public debate. The Department is therefore looking at this issue with a view to seeing what statistics could be produced on a regular basis.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Maternity Leave

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of civil servants in his Department who had been on maternity leave were still employed in the Civil Service (a) six and (b) 12 months after their return to work in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: This information is not centrally held in the form requested. While we do hold figures for those still employed by the Department, this excludes staff who transferred within the civil service following their maternity leave, or who may have been on loan from another Department and moved back to their sponsoring Department.

Maternity Pay

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the standard level and duration is of contractual maternity pay paid to civil servants in his Department.

Brandon Lewis: Regardless of length of service, or agreed working pattern, civil servants in the Department are contractually entitled to take up to 52 weeks statutory maternity leave.
	The contractual maternity pay entitlement for civil servants in the Department with at least one year's continuous service is as follows:
	26 weeks ordinary maternity leave at their full pay rate, and;
	26 weeks additional maternity leave made up of 13 weeks paid statutory maternity pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid leave.
	The contractual maternity pay entitlement for civil servants in the Department with less than one year's continuous service, but at least 26 weeks service at the 15th week before the week the baby is due, is as follows:
	26 weeks ordinary maternity leave consisting of six weeks maternity leave at statutory maternity pay rate, made up of 90% of the individual's average weekly earnings, and 20 weeks maternity leave paid at the lower statutory level or 90% of the individual's average weekly earnings, if this is less than the lower statutory level.
	26 weeks additional maternity leave; the first 13 weeks are paid at the statutory maternity rate described above plus a further 13 weeks unpaid maternity leave.
	Civil servants in the Department with less than 26 weeks continuous service at the 15th week before the week the baby is due, are contractually entitled to 52 weeks unpaid maternity leave.

Nurseries

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many workplace nurseries (a) directly operated by his Department and (b) operated by a third party on his Department's property there were at (a) 5 May 2010 and (b) 5 February 2014; and how many such nurseries are expected to cease operating in (i) 2014-15 and (ii) 2015-16.

Brandon Lewis: There have been no workplace nurseries directly operated by the Department or operated by a third party on the Department's property since the Department was established in 2006.

Pagers

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many pagers have been provided to staff by his Department since May 2010; and what the cost to the Department was of providing those pagers.

Brandon Lewis: There have been none provided for departmental staff since May 2010.

Planning Permission

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how often and for what reasons he has revoked planning permission he has allowed on appeal since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Nicholas Boles: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), has not revoked any planning permission he has allowed on appeal since May 2010.

Rescue Services

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes were made to the funding formula for fire and rescue services between 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Brandon Lewis: The formulae used in the 2012-13 Local Government Finance settlement are set out in the Local Government Finance Report for that year. The settlement was consulted on in the usual way in late 2011 and details of that consultation are at:
	www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1213/grant.htm#con
	No changes were made to the fire formulae through the statutory consultation that year.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Government's commitment to give due consideration to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) when making new policy and legislation, if he will place in the Library all assessments of how new policy and legislation from his Department since January 2013 has given due consideration to the UNCRC.

Brandon Lewis: DCLG is committed to considering the impact of all new policies and legislation, including where they impact specifically on children.
	An overall impact assessment and a memorandum confirming that the Bill was compatible with individuals' European convention human rights were produced for the recently passed Local Audit and Accountability Act but as there was no specific impacts on children no separate assessment was needed
	More widely, the coalition Government is due to report to the UN Committee responsible for the UN convention on the rights of the child shortly. The Department for Education is co-ordinating the response with contributions from other Government Departments. Once the Government has submitted its response to the UN Committee, a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to respond to Parliamentary Questions 185480, 185481 and 185482, tabled on 28 January 2014.

Kris Hopkins: PQs 185480, 185481 and 185482 were answered on 27 February 2014, Official Report, column 445-46W.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Water

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to address disproportionate use of water resources for industry and energy production.

Lynne Featherstone: The sustainable management of water resources in developing countries is critical to ensuring that there is enough water of sufficient quality for human consumption as well as for agriculture, industry, energy production and ecosystem protection. In most developing countries the United Nations notes that agriculture uses more than 80% of available freshwater resources and that its usage is not always efficient.
	DFID works to promote sustainable and equitable water allocation for human consumption and use across all sectors including agriculture, industry and energy in order to promote poverty reduction and economic development. DFID funds the Global Water Partnership to improve water governance in developing countries and improve poor people's access to water for consumption and for their livelihoods. Our support for the World Bank's Water Partnership programme promotes analytical work and innovative approaches to water resources management to ensure that water use by the agriculture, industry and energy sectors does not adversely impact on poor peoples' livelihoods. Through the International Water Stewardship programme we are promoting partnerships between the public and private sector to finance improvements in water management. DFID is also working with the international community to promote the inclusion of water resources management, including efficient water usage, in the Post-2015 Development Framework.

Overseas Aid

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK Official Development Assistance was provided by (a) each government department and (b) other sources in 2013.

Justine Greening: The final estimate for UK Official Development Assistance by DFID and other Government Departments for 2013 will be published in DFID's National. Statistics publication Statistics on International Development in autumn 2014.

Procurement

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which current contracts awarded by her Department did not go through ordinary tender processes.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 366-67W.

NORTHERN IRELAND

John Downey

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will take steps to revoke the effects of the letter sent to John Downey on his alleged role in the Hyde Park bombing.

Theresa Villiers: The case of John Downey was dealt with in the ruling by Judge Sweeney.
	On 27 February, the Prime Minister announced that a judge would be appointed to undertake an independent review to provide a full public account of the operation and extent of the administrative scheme relating to so-called “on-the-runs”, which will include a factual check of all letters issued. I expect the report to be provided to me by the end of May 2014 for the purpose of its full publication.

Pagers

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pagers have been provided to staff by her Department since May 2010; and what the cost to the Department was of providing those pagers.

Theresa Villiers: My Department has not provided pagers to staff since May 2010.

Terrorism

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who (a) signed and (b) issued the 38 letters of comfort to on-the-runs issued since 2010 and since devolution of Policing and Justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly; on behalf of which Government department they were acting; and which Minister or Ministers had oversight of this process.

Theresa Villiers: No new cases have been raised with this Government since the 2010 general election. 38 individuals were already under consideration before the election and the checking process was allowed to continue under the current Government. Of these 38 cases, 12 received a letter saying that they were not currently wanted in relation to terrorist offences. These were signed by a senior official in the Northern Ireland Office.
	On 27 February, the Prime Minister announced that a judge would be appointed to undertake an independent review to provide a full public account of the operation and extent of the administrative scheme for so called “on-the-runs”. I expect the report to be provided to me by the end of May 2014 for the purpose of its full publication.

Terrorism

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who was responsible for fact-checking statements submitted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland to permit letters of comfort to be issued by officials to on-the-runs; and under whose ministerial authority were they acting.

Theresa Villiers: The administrative scheme dealing with so called “on-the-runs” was authorised by Ministers under the last Government. The Attorney-General referred inquiries about individuals to the prosecuting authorities and the PSNI who carried out the factual checks. The PSNI advised whether individuals were wanted by the police. The Government communicated the response back to Sinn Fein via a letter from the Northern Ireland Office. Letters were issued based on the information provided by the PSNI.
	On 27 February, the Prime Minister announced that a judge would be appointed to undertake an independent review to provide a full public account of the operation and extent of the administrative scheme, which will include a factual check of all letters issued. I expect the report to be provided to me by the end of May 2014 for the purpose of its full publication.

Terrorism

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who was responsible for obtaining and fact-checking information from UK mainland police forces to facilitate the issuing of letters of comfort to so-called On-the-Runs.

Theresa Villiers: The Attorney-General referred inquiries regarding individuals to the prosecuting authorities and the PSNI, who carried out factual checks. The PSNI advised whether individuals were wanted by the police. Letters were issued based on the information provided by the PSNI.
	On 27 February, the Prime Minister announced that a judge would be appointed to undertake an independent review to provide a full public account of the operation and extent of the administrative scheme for dealing with so called “on-the-runs”, which will include a factual check of all letters issued. I expect the report to be provided to me by the end of May 2014 for the purpose of its full publication.

Terrorism

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by which means letters of comfort issued to so-called On-the-Runs were requested, issued and transmitted to the individuals concerned.

Theresa Villiers: Under the administrative scheme for dealing with so called “on-the-runs”, inquiries from individuals wishing to establish if they were wanted by police in relation to suspected terrorist activities were communicated by Sinn Fein via the Northern Ireland Office to the Attorney-General. The Attorney-General referred the inquiries to the prosecuting authorities and the police who carried out the factual checks. The Government communicated the response back to Sinn Fein via a letter from the Northern Ireland Office signed by a senior official.
	On 27 February, the Prime Minister announced that a judge would be appointed to undertake an independent review to provide a full public account of the operation and extent of the administrative scheme which will include a factual check of all letters issued. I expect the report to be provided to me by the end of May 2014 for the purpose of its full publication.

Terrorism

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether a letter in similar terms to that sent to John Downey was sent to (a) men alleged to be involved in the murder of Kenneth Smyth and Daniel McCormick, (b) men alleged to be involved in the murder of Lexie Cummins in Strabane and (c) the eight people questioned following the murder of four Ulster Defence Regiment members in Ballydougan, Downpatrick.

Theresa Villiers: On 27 February, the Prime Minister announced that a judge would be appointed to undertake an independent review to provide a full public account of the operation and extent of the administrative scheme relating to so called "on-the-runs", which will include a factual check of all letters issued. I expect the report to be provided to me by the end of May 2014 for the purpose of its full publication.

Terrorism

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many letters were sent to on-the-runs (a) between the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and December 2005 and (b) after December 2005.

Theresa Villiers: On 27 February, the Prime Minister announced that a judge would be appointed to undertake an independent review to provide a full public account of the operation and extent of the administrative scheme for dealing with so called “on-the-runs” established by the previous Government. This will include a factual check of all letters issued. I expect the report to be provided to me by the end of May 2014 for the purpose of its full publication.

Terrorism

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what evidence she has identified on whether John Downey's letter was issued in error; and what assessment she has made of whether other such letters have not similarly been issued in error;
	(2)  for what reason letters of comfort were issued to on-the-runs despite the absence of a police force intending to arrest or question them;
	(3)  which Minister is currently responsible for oversight of the letters of comfort issued to on-the-runs;
	(4)  who first authorised the issue of letters of comfort to on-the-runs.

Theresa Villiers: On 27 February, the Prime Minister announced that a judge would be appointed to undertake an independent review to provide a full public account of the operation and extent of the administrative scheme for dealing with so called "on-the-runs" that was established by the previous Government. This will include a factual check of all letters issued. I expect the report to be provided to me by the end of May 2014 for the purpose of its full publication.

Terrorism

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland under what statutory provision letters of comfort have continued to be issued to on-the-runs following the withdrawal of the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill in 2006.

Theresa Villiers: This was an administrative scheme dealing with so called "on-the-runs" which was established by Ministers under the last Government. No individual was granted immunity from prosecution under this scheme. Letters issued provided factual clarification on whether individuals were sought by police at the point at which the letters were issued.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Furniture

Therese Coffey: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission what steps the Commission has taken to ensure that office chairs for staff of hon. Members that regularly use ICT equipment are compliant with health and safety rules.

John Thurso: All chairs issued by the House comply with the Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Regulations 1992. Members or their staff on the parliamentary estate can request a DSE assessment. In some instances (for example, if there is an underlying medical condition) they may be referred to the House's Safety, Health and Wellbeing Service, which would carry out a second assessment and might recommend an appropriate chair.

SCOTLAND

Career Development

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were promoted in each of the last five years were (a) male and (b) female.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. All staff that join the Office do so on assignment, secondment or loan from other Government bodies. Information relating to the promotion of male and female staff would be held by those bodies.

Career Development

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were promoted in each of the last five years were identified as (a) white British and (b) from any other ethnic minority group.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. All staff that join the Office do so on assignment, secondment or loan from other Government bodies. Any information relating to the ethnicity of staff is a matter for the parent bodies.

Career Development

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were promoted in each of the last five years were identified as (a) disabled and (b) non-disabled.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. All staff that join the Office do so on assignment, secondment or loan from other Government bodies. Information relating to promotion of disabled and non-disabled staff would be retained by those bodies.

Maternity Leave

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of civil servants in his Department who had been on maternity leave were still employed in the Civil Service (a) six and (b) 12 months after their return to work in each of the last five years.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. All staff that join the Office do so on assignment, secondment or loan from other Government bodies. Information relating to employment after maternity leave would be retained by those bodies.

Maternity Pay

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the standard level and duration is of contractual maternity pay paid to civil servants in his Department.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not recruit or employ staff directly. All staff that join the Office do so on assignment, secondment or loan from other Government bodies. Information relating to the duration of contractual maternity pay would be a matter for them.

Pagers

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pagers have been provided to staff by his Department since May 2010; and what the cost to the Department was of providing those pagers.

David Mundell: No pagers have been provided to Scotland Office staff since May 2010.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Environment Protection: Seas and Oceans

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government plans to take in the Council of Ministers to ensure protection for fragile deep-sea ecosystems and species from damaging forms of fishing.

George Eustice: The UK Government is pursuing agreement of a Council position on deep sea access for negotiation with the European Parliament that focuses on establishing spatial measures for the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems and species.

Horse Racing

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make an estimate of the number of racehorses killed outright or destroyed at (a) Cheltenham and (b) Aintree racecourse in 2013.

George Eustice: DEFRA does not keep records of horse fatalities at individual race tracks.

Livestock: Transport

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2014, Official Report, column 355W, on cattle: transport, how many applications from farmers seeking to move individual animals or an entire herd subject to disease specific movement controls during the recent flooding period his Department has (a) received and (b) granted.

George Eustice: The Department has received and approved four applications from animal keepers in the south-west seeking to move individual cattle or an entire herd subject to disease specific movement controls during the recent flooding period.

Reptiles: Imports

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many reptiles were imported into the UK from (a) within and (b) outside the EU each year between 2001 and 2013.

George Eustice: The data are for commercial imports of reptiles to the UK. They were extracted from TRACES through the data warehouse facility on 27 February 2014 by searching for commodity codes 010620 (reptiles including snakes and turtles). It should be noted that full data are only available from 2005 onwards as not all EU member states were using TRACES prior to this date.
	
		
			  Intra Community Third Countries 
			 2005 2,007 157,410 
			 2006 1,470 175,571 
			 2007 520 206,005 
			 2008 1,822 245,941 
			 2009 2,042 202,439 
			 2010 1,269 171,531 
			 2011 17,923 151,715 
			 2012 8,430 154,768 
			 2013 2,463 129,592

TREASURY

Banks: Regulation

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on applications for challenger banks which are currently under consideration.

Sajid Javid: The Prudential Regulation Authority will annually report details of new bank authorisations.

Banks: Regulation

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the timescales in which the Financial Conduct Authority considers applications for potential new entrants to the UK banking sector.

Sajid Javid: The Financial Services Authority published a report in March 2013 detailing changes to reduce barriers to entry and expansion in the banking sector, including an improved authorisation process. These changes have been implemented in full by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Government has asked the PRA and FCA to conduct a follow-up review to evaluate the success of these changes, and the report on this work is due to be published in the coming months.

Building Societies

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to creating opportunities for the establishment of new building societies.

Sajid Javid: There is no legal barrier to the establishment of new building societies, who are free to make an application to the regulatory authorities.
	The nature of building societies as member-owned financial institutions means that they require a substantial amount of capital to be formed, but those who provide that capital cannot be given ownership or voting rights. This may have contributed to the fact that there have not been any new building societies established since 1981.

Building Societies

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to publish proposals for consultation on bail-in orders in relation to building societies.

Sajid Javid: The Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 added the bail-in stabilisation option to the Banking Act 2009. Section 17 of the 2013 Act grants the Treasury the power to make an order, making provision to facilitate the exercise of the bail-in powers in relation to a failing building society.
	The Government said it would consult on this order, and a consultation will be published in due course.

Employee Benefit Trusts

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what resources HM Revenue and Customs has allocated to the Employee Shareholder Scheme since it was announced.

David Gauke: It is not possible to disaggregate the resource applied to this work from other tax policy or administration work.

Financial Services

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) peer-to-peer lending and (b) crowdfunding platforms on the availability of finance for small to medium-sized enterprises;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the amount of investment in small and medium-sized enterprises which has come from (a) peer-to-peer lending and (b) crowdfunding platforms in each of the last three years.

Sajid Javid: Crowdfunding and peer to peer lending are innovative new forms of finance that support competition in the business lending sector. The Government has taken a number of steps to support their growth.
	The Government has not made any assessment of the amount of investment in SMEs from peer to peer lending and crowdfunding platforms.

Financial Services

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has had with (a) peer-to-peer lenders and (b) crowdfunding platforms on the development of simpler products for potential investors.

Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of organisations as part of the usual policy making process.
	The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations. This is available online at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

Financial Services

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with representatives of EU institutions on the cross-border implications of peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding platforms.

Sajid Javid: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of organisations as part of the usual policy making process.
	The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations. This is available online at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

Financial Services

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that legislation is in place to enable small and medium-sized enterprises to attract funding from peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding platforms.

Sajid Javid: The Financial Conduct Authority consulted on draft rules for the peer to peer lending and crowdfunding sectors in autumn 2013 and will issue a policy statement shortly.

Financial Services

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will propose changes to the taxation regime for individuals who wish to invest in peer-to-peer and crowdfunding schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The Chancellor keeps all decisions relating to taxation under review.

Financial Services: Taxation

John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with campaigners for a financial transaction tax; how many times he has met such campaigners since May 2010; and how many times he has met with representatives from the financial sector to discuss this issue in that time.

David Gauke: Treasury Ministers regularly meet with various stakeholders as part of normal Government business. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.
	Details of ministerial and Permanent Secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

Financial Services: Taxation

John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in other European countries on the introduction of a financial transaction tax.

David Gauke: The Chancellor and other Treasury Ministers have had various conversations about the financial transaction tax with their counterparts in other European countries since the proposal was published.

Fuels: Tax Evasion

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people were (a) arrested, (b) convicted and (c) received custodial sentences in the UK for offences relating to fuel fraud in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many people have received custodial sentences for fuel laundering in (a) Great Britain and (b) Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Nicky Morgan: Figures are available only for years from 2010-11 (arrests) and 2011-12 (convictions and sentencing). The number of people arrested, convicted and sentenced to custodial sentences is as follows:
	
		
			 Number 
			  Arrests in the UK Convictions in the UK Custodial sentences in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) Custodial sentence in Northern Ireland 
			 2010-11 18 n/a n/a — 
			 2011-12 15 5 1 11 
			 2012-13 12 11 11 14 
			 2013-14 to December 2013 23 8 1 16 
			 1 Suspended. 
		
	
	This data relates to the total number of oils related offences recorded by Criminal Investigation, they are not subdivided into specific regimes.
	HMRC fights fraud on a wide range of fronts, from special units performing thousands of roadside checks to raiding laundering plants. HMRC has also recently announced the selection of a new marker for rebated fuel, which will make it harder to launder marked fuel and sell it at a profit.
	HMRC uses several avenues to tackle fraud: criminal prosecution, civil action (such as seizing fuel or pumps) civil penalties and strong regulatory controls.

Fuels: Tax Evasion

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value of assets seized in Northern Ireland by HM Revenue and Customs as a result of fuel fraud offences in each of the last 10 years is.

Nicky Morgan: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold or collate this information. They seize a variety of different assets in their disruption of the supply of illicit fuel including plant, equipment and chemicals used to launder marked fuel. It is not possible to put a monetary value on such equipment and, therefore, a figure for the total value of assets seized cannot be provided.
	HMRC fights fraud on a wide range of fronts, from special units performing thousands of roadside checks to the raiding of laundering plants. They have also recently announced the selection of a new marker for rebated fuel, which will make it harder to launder marked fuel and sell it at a profit.
	HMRC use several avenues to tackle fraud: criminal prosecution, civil action (such as seizing fuel or pumps), civil penalties and strong regulatory controls.

Housing: Sales

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what capital receipts have accrued to the Exchequer from the sale of UK housing in each year since 1984.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Caron Walker, dated March 2014
	In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what capital receipts have accrued to the Exchequer from the sale of UK housing in each year since 1984. (189551)
	The table provides the local government receipts from the sales of gross fixed capital related to housing for England, Wales and Scotland. These data are only available from 1997 onwards. Data for housing sales are not available for Northern Ireland.
	
		
			 Local government receipts from sales of housing (gross fixed capital formation) 1997 to 2013—England, Scotland and Wales1 
			  Local government housing sales receipts (£ billions) 
			 1997 1.3 
			 1998 1.3 
			 1999 1.8 
			 2000 2.1 
			 2001 2.2 
			 2002 3.0 
			 2003 4.0 
			 2004 3.7 
			 2005 2.6 
			 2006 2.2 
			 2007 2.1 
			 2008 1.0 
			 2009 0.5 
			 2010 0.6 
			 2011 0.6 
			 2012 0.9 
			 2013 0.7 
			 1 Sales of housing (gross fixed capital) for Northern Ireland are not available. Source: ONS

Income Tax

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has any sources other than PAYE RTI data for its estimates of employers' liability to income tax and national insurance.

David Gauke: HMRC uses PAYE payments information from the Enterprise Tax Management Platform (ETMP) to estimate employers' overall liabilities for PAYE income tax and class 1 national insurance contributions. The ETMP system was introduced as part of the Department's Real Time Information (RTI) Programme. Apart from ETMP and RTI, the Department has no other ongoing sources of information on PAYE payments or liabilities.

JD Wetherspoon

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings there have been between (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department and representatives of JD Wetherspoon plc in the last two years.

Nicky Morgan: Treasury ministers and officials routinely meet with a wide range of stakeholders as part of the policy development process. Details of ministerial and Permanent Secretary meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

Legal Costs

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) cost and (b) purpose was of legal (i) representation and (ii) advice sought by his Department and its agencies in each year since May 2010.

Nicky Morgan: The table details the Department's spend on internal and external legal costs incurred for legal representation and advice provided to HM Treasury for the financial years 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013 to 31 January 2014. The Department's financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March.
	It is not possible, without separately analysing each invoice, to confirm whether all the Department's legal spend is captured in these figures. To do this would take the cost of responding to the question over the disproportionate cost threshold.
	These figures include but are not limited to the case management services provided by the Treasury Solicitor's Department and external legal advice and representation provided by solicitors and barristers. It is not possible to provide a more detailed breakdown of the fees without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold. The figures represent actual cost to the Department and therefore only include VAT to the extent such VAT is irrecoverable.
	The Department's records of legal spend do not separate legal representation and legal advice. Disaggregating the data would take the cost of responding to the question over the disproportionate cost threshold.
	Our records of legal spend do not contain details of the purpose of each item of legal spend. Each invoice would have to be separately analysed to establish the matter concerned and then further analysed to establish the purpose. This would take the cost of responding to the question over the disproportionate cost threshold.
	The Executive Agencies accounted for within the figures are the Asset Protection Agency for the financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12 and the Debt Management Office. The Asset Protection Agency ceased to be an. Executive Agency in October 2012.
	The Divisions of the Department accounted for within these figures are:
	UK Financial Investments (UKFI);
	Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR);
	Office of Tax Simplification (OTS);
	Infrastructure UK (IUK);
	Government Actuaries Department (GAD); and
	National Savings and Investments (NS&I).
	
		
			  HMT legal costs (£ million) 
			 2008-09 10,943,871.11 
			 2009-10 18,518,800.48 
			 2010-11 4,154,551.49 
			 2011-12 5,673,682.71 
			 2012-13 5,041,254.62 
		
	
	The following points should be noted:
	It is not possible to disaggregate costs further without incurring considerable costs in retrieval and analysis of individual invoices which make up these figures, and which are held in remote storage.
	These figures include fees paid to external law firms for the purpose of debt collection. Disaggregating these fees will incur considerable costs.
	Legal representation and advice incurred by GAD and NS&I only include costs paid to the Treasury Solicitor's Department. The Department has not been able to obtain any additional information on costs for legal representation and advice incurred by GAD and NS&I at the time of answering this question.

Maternity Pay

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the standard level and duration is of contractual maternity pay paid to civil servants in his Department.

Nicky Morgan: There are two maternity pay schemes at Treasury, which employees may have an entitlement to depending upon their length of service and whether they intend to return to work. These are:
	Treasury maternity pay scheme (known as contractual maternity pay) where the first 26 weeks of maternity leave (OML) is paid at the normal full salary rate (calculated as the average of earnings in the eight weeks leading up to the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth). This is followed by 13 weeks of statutory maternity pay (SMP) and 13 weeks of nil pay.
	Statutory maternity pay scheme (SMP) where the first six weeks of maternity leave is paid at 90% of the normal full salary rate (known as higher rate SMP) followed by 33 weeks of a lower rate of statutory maternity pay. The remaining 13 weeks is not paid.

National Insurance

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the costs that would be incurred by renaming national insurance as earnings tax.

David Gauke: The Government does not speculate on tax policy ahead of Budgets, although all taxes are kept under review.

PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the total PAYE (income tax and national insurance) receipts were in each of the tax periods (a) November 2012 to January 2013 and (b) November 2013 to January 2014;
	(2)  what total employer liability for PAYE (income tax and national insurance) was reported by HM Revenue and Customs' PAYE RTI system for the three full tax months between November 2013 and January 2014.

David Gauke: Total receipts of PAYE income tax and class 1 national insurance contributions for the periods requested are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 PAYE income tax and class 1 national insurance contribution receipts 
			  £ million 
			 November 2012 to January2013 55,104 
			 November 2013 to January 2014 56,846 
		
	
	Overall liability estimates for PAYE income tax and class 1 national insurance contributions for the period requested are as follows:
	
		
			 PAYE income tax and class1 national insurance contribution liabilities 
			  £ million 
			 November 2013 to January 2014 59,002 
		
	
	Note that these figures (for liabilities in particular) are provisional and subject to revision.

Procurement

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's 10 largest contracts let since the financial year 2010-11 are; what savings have been made in such contracts; what the level of overspend or underspend was in each such contract; and what steps his Department has taken to monitor the performance of each such contract following the contract award.

Nicky Morgan: The Government is committed to openness and transparency to enable the public to hold the Government and other public bodies to account. This Government has made more data available than ever before. Since January 2011, central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the tenders issued and contracts they award with a value over £10,000 (excluding VAT):
	www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
	In addition, Departments including HM Treasury routinely publish details of transactions over £25,000.
	There is a senior responsible officer for each major contract. They are responsible for monitoring the delivery against the contractual agreement. They are supported by a contract manager, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the contract. Financial support for the contract manager is provided by a representative of the Finance team and expert commercial support is provided by the Crown Commercial Service, and full guidance is available.

Public Finance

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government deficit was, expressed in monetary terms including forecast projections into future years, in each year since 1990.

Nicky Morgan: According to the latest public sector finances statistical bulletin:
	Public sector net borrowing excluding the impact of large one-off transfers for Royal Mail pension assets and the Asset Purchase Facility (PSNBex (ex RM and APF)), was £5.8 billion in 1990-91 but rose to £157.3 billion in 2009-10. As a result of action by this Government net borrowing has fallen in each year since May 2010 and stood at £114.9 billion in 2012-13, the last full year for which information is available.
	The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is responsible for producing the official economic and fiscal forecasts in the UK on which fiscal policy is based. According to OBR's December 2013 Economic and fiscal outlook, PSNBex (ex RM and APF) is forecast to fall in each year of the forecast period reaching a £2.2 billion surplus by 2018-19. The OBR forecasts are available here:
	http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/pubs/December-2013-EFO-Charts-and-Tables2.xls

Public Finance

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in which months the Exchequer (a) was and (b) was not in surplus in each of the last 36 months.

Nicky Morgan: This answer assumes the hon. Member is asking about Public Finances.
	The Public Sector Finances Statistical Bulletin, published monthly by the Office for National Statistics and HM Treasury, provides a detailed statistical view of public sector finances, for example for January 2014 at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/psa/public-sector-finances/january-2014/stb---january-2014.html

Railways: Floods

Mary Creagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of (a) the UK and (b) the South West of the track disruption caused by flooding in 2014.

Stephen Hammond: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Transport.
	It is too early to assess the impact on either the UK or SW economies. This will be done as part of the post emergency review which government has already announced. Studies being undertaken by Network Rail to consider long term options to ensure rail services to SW England can be sustained will also include an economic assessment.

Rent a Room Scheme

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the likely cost to the public purse of raising the Rent a Room Scheme tax-free threshold from £4,250 a year to £7,500.

David Gauke: The Government has made no such assessment but keeps all tax policies under review.

Self-employed

Julie Elliott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average income of self-employed (a) men and (b) women is in each region.

David Gauke: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			 2011-12 Average income from self-employment 
			 £ 
			 Region Male Female 
			 North East 12,700 8,230 
			 North West and Mersey side 13,900 8,950 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 13,700 8,940 
			 East Midlands 13,800 8,670 
			 West Midlands 13,100 8,850 
			 East of England 18,200 9,740 
			 London 25,700 12,400 
			 South East 19,100 10,000 
			 South West 13,900 8,370 
			 Wales 12,400 8,060 
			 Scotland 16,500 11,100 
			 Northern Ireland 12,000 9,300 
			 United Kingdom 17,000 9,800 
		
	
	These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes 2011-12 which is the latest year for which outturn data are available.

Tax Allowances: Video Games

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the potential benefits of providing tax relief to the video games sector.

David Gauke: The Government announced a new tax relief for video games at Budget 2012, subject to state aid approval.
	This relief will allow eligible companies to claim a payable tax credit worth 25% of qualifying production costs. As set out in the impact assessment, this relief is expected to cost around £25 million per year and there are approximately 300 video games companies in the UK that may benefit. The impact assessment can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/tiin/2012/tiin2060.pdf
	There are significant games clusters all around the UK including in Brighton, Guildford, London, Oxford, Cambridge, Leamington Spa, Manchester, Newcastle and Dundee. In addition, many games development studios in the UK are new, micro or SME businesses.

Taxation: Bermuda

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that Bermuda receives public recognition and credit for its open and honest compliance with his Department's request for taxation transparency and reform.

David Gauke: All of the UK's Crown dependencies and overseas territories with financial centres have taken significant steps forward on tax transparency putting them at the forefront of this agenda globally. This has been publicly recognised by the Government. In addition to signing agreements with the UK for the automatic exchange of tax information, they have also agreed to be early adopters of the new global standard for automatic exchange, recently endorsed by the G20 at its meeting of 22 February in Sydney. Meeting a commitment made during the UK's G8 presidency all of the Crown dependencies and overseas territories have also had extended, or are in the process of obtaining extension of the UK's signature of the multilateral convention on mutual assistance in tax matters. They have also published action plans on beneficial ownership, setting out the concrete steps they will take to ensure greater clarity about who really owns, controls, and benefits from companies and legal arrangements in their jurisdictions. We will continue to work closely with the Crown dependencies and overseas territories and will continue to press other financial centres to match the steps they have taken.

Taxation: Bingo

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2014, Official Report, column 599W, on taxation: bingo, if he will undertake a specific review of the bingo duty rate.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer he mentions, on 15 January 2014, Official Report, column 599W.
	The Government keeps all taxes, including bingo duty, under review.

VAT: Sixth Form Colleges

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has to review the position of sixth form colleges in relation to VAT paid on purchases.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy), on 17 December 2013, Official Report, column 208WH.

Working Tax Credit

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 441W, on working tax credit, what estimate he has made of the number of children who were living with couples who worked 16 to 24 hours per week who were eligible for child tax credit but were not eligible for working tax credit on 2 December 2013.

Nicky Morgan: The number of children in families where a couple are working 16 to 24 hours who are eligible for child tax credit (CTC) but are not eligible for working tax credit (WTC) as at 2 December 2013 is around 80,000. This figure relates to the snapshot position of families at this time.
	In addition there are around 20,000 children in families where a couple are working 16 to 24 hours and are eligible for CTC who have lost WTC eligibility but whose income was high enough that the WTC element of their award was fully tapered away, so they were only in receipt of the child tax credit (CTC) element.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what organisations have applied to his Department for funding to improve voter registration.

Greg Clark: A range of voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations have applied for funding to deliver activities to improve voter registration.
	On 5 February 2014, the Government announced that five national organisations and all 363 local authorities and Valuation Joint Boards in Great Britain will be sharing £4.2 million funding aimed at ensuring everyone in the country is signed up to the electoral register and has their chance to vote.
	Further details of the successful organisations can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/funding-for-new-ways-to-encourage-voter-registration

Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2013, Official Report, column 971W, on Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013, when he intends to lay an Order before Parliament under paragraph 28 of schedule 5 to the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013.

Greg Clark: It is for the next Government to decide whether to complete the transition to individual electoral registration in December 2015 or December 2016. To conclude the transition in December 2015, the Order must be laid before Parliament between 1 June and 31 August 2015.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Eggborough Power Station

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will hold a consultation with (a) individuals and (b) groups on the biomass conversion project at Eggborough power station.

Michael Fallon: Any decisions to convert to biomass are a matter for Eggborough Power Ltd. Government do not conduct consultations regarding private companies.

Energy: Conservation

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what sanctions his Department applies to energy companies which fail to comply with their targets for spending on energy conservation schemes.

Gregory Barker: Energy efficiency targets for companies under the current energy company obligation (ECO), and previous related schemes, are set in terms of carbon reduction outcomes rather than financial expenditure.
	Enforcement of these targets, and any penalties levied in the event of non-compliance, are a matter for the regulator, Ofgem.

Energy: Consumption

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the average consumption of energy for hot water and heating of a (a) two bedroom terrace house, (b) three bedroom semi-detached house and (c) four bedroom detached house.

Gregory Barker: The average consumption of energy for hot water and space heating in 2012 was 15,377 kWh per household within the UK.
	Average consumption figures have been derived from dividing total consumption for hot water and heating figures (from Table 3.05 of Energy Consumption in the UK:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-consumption-in-the-uk
	by the number of estimated households (Table 401:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-household-projections
	(Department for Communities and Local Government)).
	These figures are not available by type of household.

Energy: Prices

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 575W, on energy: prices, what estimate his Department has made of the average yearly difference in prices between fixed price and standard variable tariffs for domestic consumers.

Michael Fallon: There are a range of fixed price tariffs on offer to domestic customers. Short term deals tend to be cheaper than current standard variable tariffs, whilst longer term fixed deals tend to be more expensive. This is because supply companies take a view on how much prices will go up by in the future; It is up to individual consumers to decide if a fixed deal is better value for them.

Green Deal Scheme

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Green Deal assessments were carried out through (a) the Carbon Emission Reductions Obligation, (b) the Carbon Savings Community Obligation, (c) the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation and (d) the Green Deal cash back in 2013.

Gregory Barker: Provisional figures reported by energy suppliers to Ofgem show that, up to the end of September 2013, there were 13,500 Green Deal Assessments that resulted in the installation of Carbon Emission Reductions Obligation measures and 13,700 Green Deal Assessments that resulted in the installation of Carbon Savings Community Obligation measures. These figures are rounded to the nearest hundred and exclude a small number of properties where it is unknown whether an Assessment was used. Green Deal Assessments do not feature in the regulations relating to the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation.
	The number of Cashback vouchers issued and paid is published in Table 4 of the monthly Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) Official Statistics release:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-deal-and-energy-company-obligation-eco-monthly-statistics-february-2014
	Virtually all households applying for Cashback vouchers will have had a Green Deal Assessment.

Green Deal Scheme

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Green Deal assessments were carried out by local authorities in 2013.

Gregory Barker: The provisional number of Green Deal Assessments delivered through the Pioneer Places project, a DECC-funded Local Authority scheme, in 2013 was published in Table 1.7 of the latest quarterly Official Statistics release:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-deal-energy-company-obligation-eco-and-insulation-levels-in-great-britain-quarterly-report-to-september-2013
	These estimates will be revised in the next quarterly release, which is planned for publication on 20 March 2014.
	The Department does not hold any further information on the number of Green Deal Assessments carried out through other local authority schemes. However, my Department published information on all assessments that have taken place in each local authority up to the end of September 2013 in Table 1.6a of the latest quarterly Official Statistics release.

Green Deal Scheme

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Green Deal assessments were paid for by private individuals in 2013.

Gregory Barker: DECC collects information on whether households pay for an assessment through research. Findings from the research suggest that 10% of assessments up to the end of September 2013 (the period the research covered) have been paid for in full by households and a further two per cent paying partially.

Members: Correspondence

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he will reply to the letter sent to him in February 2014 by the hon. Member for Broxbourne on behalf of the Procedure Committee on a parliamentary question from the right hon. Member for Don Valley on the introduction of a ring-fence between the generation and retail arms of vertically integrated energy companies.

Gregory Barker: I would like to apologise on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change for the delay in replying to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxbourne. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), has since responded to this letter on 27 February 2014.

Members: Correspondence

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he will reply to the letter sent to him on 29 January 2014 by the right hon. Member for Don Valley on the introduction of a ring-fence between generation and retail within vertically integrated energy companies.

Gregory Barker: I would like to apologise on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change for the delay in replying to the right hon. Member. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), has since responded to this letter on 27 February 2014.

Renewable Energy

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he will announce his plans for the introduction of competitive auctions for renewable subsidies.

Gregory Barker: The Department recently launched a consultation on our approach to competitive allocation under Contracts for Difference. The consultation included a proposal to introduce competition for at least those technologies considered by Government to be more established from the commencement of allocation in October 2014. The consultation closed on 12 February 2014 and we are currently carefully considering the responses before confirming our policy position in early April 2014.

Renewables Obligation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  when his Department will next review Renewables Obligation scheme banding levels under the Energy Act 2008; and when the outcome of this review will be published;
	(2)  whether there will be a reduction for further subsidies for onshore wind.

Michael Fallon: There is no further comprehensive banding review planned for the Renewables Obligation (RO) scheme before it closes to new generation on 31 March 2017. Support for large-scale onshore wind generating stations was reduced by 10% from 1 April 2013 following the last comprehensive review of RO banded support. This review, which reported in July 2012, set support rates for 2013-17. UK onshore wind costs were further examined during the call for evidence on onshore wind. The results were published on 6 June 20131 and confirmed that RO support for onshore wind would be maintained at the levels set through the banding review.
	Later this year, we will be introducing a new support mechanism—Contracts for Difference (CFD)—designed to support new investment in low carbon energy. Under the CFD, it is our intention that established technologies (such as onshore wind) will have to compete on price in an auction in order to secure a contract for support. This means that only the most cost-effective projects will be built and will represent better value for money for bill-payers, while continuing to deliver the investment we need in secure, low-carbon electricity generation.
	1https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/onshore-wind-call-for-evidence

Wind Power

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much carbon dioxide was emitted from backup technologies for wind turbines in the last year for which data is available.

Michael Fallon: When unexpected events occur such as generator faults or excessive demand, the electricity system operator requires either additional generation to run as back up, or a reduction in electricity demand to ensure the system remains balanced. Such generation is commonly referred to as “reserve”. Electricity generated from wind at a given time is one variable currently managed as part of the demand supply balance among others. The system operator procures reserve services commercially, as part of balancing services. DECC does not hold data on energy produced from reserve services which is part of commercial arrangements the system operator has with providers.

Wind Power

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the net emissions reductions resulting from (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind has been in the last three years; and what such figures are including in the carbon footprint of (i) construction, (ii) backup technologies and (iii) connection to the grid of such turbines.

Michael Fallon: The following table gives emissions reductions (million tonnes of carbon dioxide avoided) from onshore and offshore wind in 2010 to 2012. Data for 2013 are not yet available—provisional figures for 2013 will be available on 31 July 2014.
	
		
			  Onshore wind Offshore wind 
			 2010 4.2 1.8 
			 2011 6.4 3.1 
			 2012 8.5 5.2 
		
	
	This is calculated as generation from onshore and offshore wind, multiplied by carbon dioxide emissions per GWh of electricity supplied from all fossil fuels. As with the data gathered for all power generation technology, it does not include emissions from construction or grid connection.
	Onshore wind power has a very small carbon footprint range relative to other energy generation technologies: between 8 and 20g CO2eq/kWh, taking into account emissions incurred during the manufacture, construction and decommissioning phases. The average emissions from fossil-fuelled power generation in the UK is around 700gCO2/kWh.
	Back-up generation—including generation from gas, coal or biomass—is sometimes required to balance intermittent renewable generators as well as to cover demand spikes and other station outage. DECC has not estimated the gas turbine energy contribution (and therefore related CO2 emissions) to manage wind variability specifically, due to complex inter-dependencies of the power system operational parameters.1
	1 Estimates of wind generation and CCGT emissions are taken from scenarios modelled for the Electricity Market Reform Delivery Plan. Please see:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-market-reform-delivery-plan
	A range is given based on the range of generation estimates for onshore and offshore wind in the modelled scenarios. Estimates for onshore wind include both large and small scale.
	Sources:
	1. Onshore and offshore wind generation, from table DUKES 6.4, available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewable-sources-of-energy-chapter-6-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes
	2. Carbon dioxide emissions (tonnes per GWh) for fossil fuel mix, from table DUKES 5C, at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-chapter-5-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes

Wind Power

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department's calculation that 6.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide were avoided in the UK in 2011 by onshore wind alone includes emissions from construction of turbines and backup technologies.

Michael Fallon: The figures referred to are calculated as generation from onshore wind, multiplied by carbon dioxide emissions per GWh of electricity supplied from all fossil fuels. The quoted 6.3 million tonnes figure in 2011 has been revised to 6.4 million tonnes. As with the data gathered for all power generation technology, it does not include emissions from construction or grid connection.
	Onshore wind power has a very small carbon footprint range relative to other energy generation technologies: between 8 and 20g CO2eq/kWh, taking into account emissions incurred during the manufacture, construction and decommissioning phases. The average emissions from fossil-fuelled power generation in the UK is around 700gCO2/kWh.
	Back-up generation—including generation from gas, coal or biomass—is sometimes required to balance intermittent renewable generators as well as to cover demand spikes and other station outage. DECC has not estimated the gas turbine energy contribution (and therefore related CO2 emissions) to manage wind variability specifically, due to complex inter-dependencies of the power system operational parameters.1
	1 Estimates of wind generation and CCGT emissions are taken from scenarios modelled for the Electricity Market Reform Delivery Plan. Please see:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-market-reform-delivery-plan
	A range is given based on the range of generation estimates for onshore and offshore wind in the modelled scenarios. Estimates for onshore wind include both large and small scale.

HEALTH

Abortion

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ground E abortions were diagnosed by (a) amniocentesis, (b) ultrasound, (c) chronic villus sampling and (d) other diagnostic tests in each of the last 10 years; what other methods of diagnosis were listed under other; and how many such diagnoses which did not result in abortion were recorded in the same period.

Jane Ellison: The information held by the Department is in the table.
	Ground E covers a range of conditions, and one or more of the diagnostic methods specified in the question are likely to have been used in all pregnancies involving these conditions over the time period regardless of the outcome of the pregnancy.
	
		
			 Abortions performed under ground E, by method of diagnosis of the foetus, England and Wales, 2003-12 
			 Ground E by method of diagnosis 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 
			 Amniocentesis alone 266 252 180 195 211 214 206 240 208 208 
			 Amniocentesis and Chorionic Villus Sampling 16 5 12 11 21 13 19 11 8 12 
			 Amniocentesis and Ultrasound 183 174 145 136 177 155 176 160 151 139 
			 Amniocentesis, Ultrasound and Chorionic Villus Sampling 10 9 14 18 18 9 10 10 11 10 
			 Chorionic Villus Sampling alone 491 421 335 362 318 326 296 287 327 313 
			 Ultrasound alone 1,367 1,192 974 978 920 885 1,007 927 923 965 
			 Ultrasound and Chorionic Villus Sampling 246 162 139 135 141 175 154 132 134 157 
			 Other1 22 10 3 2 0 1 2 5 11 5 
			 No information given2 91 82 488 248 182 161 166 144 121 132 
			 Total 2,692 2,307 2,290 2,085 1,988 1,939 2,036 1,916 1,894 1,941 
			 1 Notifications recorded as 'other' are not coded further. 2 Notifications where no information was given were returned to practitioners for completion from 2010 onwards.

Accident and Emergency Departments: West Sussex

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the spending on locum doctors was in accident and emergency at the (a) Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath and (b) Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: I hope my right hon. Friend will appreciate that this information is not collected centrally. Both hospitals are run by the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and my right hon. Friend may wish to approach the Trust directly for this information.

Autism

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that specialist autism training for community care assessors is addressed in the guidance and regulations arising from the Care Bill.

Norman Lamb: The Government is committed to ensuring that care and support assessments are carried out by assessors with suitable knowledge and training. The Care Bill will require local authorities to ensure assessments are carried out in an appropriate manner, which will require local authorities to ensure staff are appropriately trained. Regulations will place a duty on local authorities to ensure that any person carrying out an assessment has the skills, knowledge and competence to carry out the assessment in question and that this is maintained. In addition, local authorities will be required to consult an expert in the individual's condition in cases where the assessor lacks experience. These requirements will apply to assessors who carry out assessments for people with autism, and this will be set out in the statutory guidance that will support the implementation of the Bill.
	These legal requirements build on the existing guidance around autism, 'Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives' which states that assessments should be carried out by trained practitioners.

Cancer

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specialist services are currently available in hospitals to support patients diagnosed with cancers of unknown origin; and what plans he has to change the mandated minimum provision of such services.

Jane Ellison: In July 2010, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published the clinical guideline, “Metastatic malignant disease of unknown primary origin: Diagnosis and management of metastatic malignant disease of unknown primary origin”. This guidance set out best practice on care treatment and support of patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP).
	On the matter of support provided to patients, the guidance sets out that every hospital with a cancer centre or unit should establish a CUP team, in which a designated CUP specialist nurse or key worker should ensure that the patient and their carers can receive information, advice and support about diagnosis, treatment, palliative care, spiritual and psychosocial concerns
	CUP services are subject to assessment and assurance through the National Peer Review programme (NPRP) which provides quality assurance for cancer services. Assessment of compliance is made against clearly defined measures. More information on the NPRP and CUP measures can be found at the following link:
	www.cquins.nhs.uk/?menu=resources
	Finally, NHS England would expect that the treatment and care for patients with CUP reflects patients' needs and preferences and that services take into account the relevant NICE guidelines.

Cancer: Drugs

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department has discussed with NHS England the operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund in the last six months; what the content of those discussions was; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: Departmental officials have frequent discussions with NHS England on a range of issues relating to the management of the Cancer Drugs Fund, including NHS England's financial projections for expenditure against the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2013-14 and operation of the fund in future years.

Cancer: Drugs

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the forecast outturn expenditure on the Cancer Drugs Fund is in 2013-14 across the year as a whole; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: NHS England has published on its website a summary financial report for the Cancer Drugs Fund as at the end of December 2013. The report forecasts national end of year spend for 2013-14 of £240 million.

Cancer: Drugs

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have gained access to the Cancer Drugs Fund in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14 to date.

Norman Lamb: The information requested is included in the following table:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Number of patients funded in 2012-131 15,456 
			 Number of patients funded 2013-14 to end December2 14,137 
			 1 Source-Information provided to the Department by Strategic Health Authorities. Some individual patients may be double-counted where a patient has received more than one drug treatment through the Cancer Drugs Fund. 2 Source-NHS England.

Cancer: Drugs

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total expenditure of the Cancer Drugs Fund was in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Norman Lamb: Information on spend by strategic health authorities under the interim cancer drugs funding arrangements in 2010-11 (from October 2010 to the end of March 2011) and under the Cancer Drugs Fund (from April 2011 to the end of March 2013) is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Amount spent (£000) 
			 October 2010 to end March 2011 138,254 
			 April 2011 to end March 2012 1108,327 
			 April 2012 to end March 2013 175,334 
			 l Includes end of year spending commitments. Source: Information supplied to the Department by strategic health authorities.

Clostridium

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the clostridium-difficile targets for all hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups will be published by the NHS Commissioning Board; and how his Department will enforce such targets.

Daniel Poulter: We understand that NHS England plans to publish Clostridium difficile objectives for national health service acute trusts and clinical commissioning groups, together with guidance for commissioners and providers on the implementation of sanctions, very shortly.

Depressive Illnesses

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of GPs who regularly prescribe mindfulness-based therapy for the treatment of repeat depression.

Norman Lamb: Mindfulness Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved treatment of recurrent depression and is available through a number of Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services in England.
	No estimate has been made of the proportion of general practitioners in England who regularly prescribe mindfulness-based therapy for the treatment of repeat depression.

Food: Chemicals

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the health risks posed by synthetic chemicals used in the processing, packaging and storing of food.

Jane Ellison: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) leads on the safety of food additives and food contact materials (FCMs).
	The use of food additives is subject to harmonised European Union (EU) legislation and a pre-marketing authorisation regime which includes the assessment of possible health risks.
	Harmonised EU legislation requires food business operators to ensure FCMs do not endanger human health. Based on toxicological assessments undertaken by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the legislation sets limits for chemical migration into food to ensure consumers are protected. The FSA commissions research and surveillance projects which investigate exposure to chemicals from FCMs, and publishes the results on their website. Details of the FSA's research projects can be found at:
	http://food.gov.uk/science/research/chemical-safety-research/fcm-research/

Food: Chemicals

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will institute a population-based assessment and bio-monitoring to establish any potential links between food-contact chemicals and chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes and neurological disorders.

Jane Ellison: The Food Standards Agency leads on the safety of food contact materials (FCMs) including migration of chemicals from them. We are advised it has no plans for a population-based assessment and bio-monitoring.
	Harmonised European Union legislation requires food business operators to ensure FCMs do not endanger human health. Based on toxicological assessments undertaken by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the legislation sets limits for chemical migration into food to ensure consumers are protected.

Health Services

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many commissioning access policies are being developed by NHS England; when they will be completed; and what rules apply to patient treatment pending their completion;
	(2)  how many NHS staff were assigned to specialised commissioning in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14; and what level of expenditure they were responsible for in each such year;
	(3)  by what process and timetable commissioning access policies are developed and agreed when a treatment breaches the current maximum threshold of five individual funding requests in any one NHS England region.

Jane Ellison: As part of its role as direct commissioner, NHS England moved to a single operating model to support the commissioning of specialised services, which provided an opportunity to develop single national commissioning policies with the involvement of lead clinicians, patient representatives and other key stakeholders.
	NHS England has 112 commissioning access policies in the pipeline for development, but this number is constantly changing. Established treatments that were routinely commissioned prior to 1 April 2013 will continue to be routinely commissioned. New treatments, or treatments not routinely commissioned prior to 1 April 2013, will not be routinely commissioned. National health service patients will not be able to receive these treatments, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
	If the numbers of patients for whom the treatment is requested per year reaches five or more, the NHS England Area Team will treat this change as a service development requiring a commissioning policy. Guidance is available on the NHS England website at:
	www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cp-03.pdf
	In April 2013, NHS England became the direct commissioner for specialised services and for 2013-14 expenditure for specialised commissioning is circa £13 billion.
	In 2012-13 the level of expenditure identified as specialised commissioning was circa £7 billion, which was the responsibility of primary care trusts as the statutory responsible organisations.
	NHS England advises that it is not possible to provide figures for staff assigned to specialised commissioning because they are not separately identified for- payroll purposes.

Health Services: Immigrants

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the health needs (a) in relation to infectious diseases and (b) in general of people who have (i) migrated to the UK within the last two years and (ii) resided in the UK on visa for six months or more.

Jane Ellison: The national health service does not routinely collect information about a person's immigration status or the time a person has been living in the United Kingdom. It is therefore not possible to make an assessment of the health needs in relation either to infectious diseases, or in general, of this group of people.
	Public Health England carries out a broad spectrum of work relating to prevention of infectious disease. This work includes infectious disease surveillance, providing specialist and reference microbiology and microbial epidemiology, co-ordinating the investigation and cause of national and uncommon outbreaks, advising Government on the risks of various infections and responding to international health alerts.

Health: Equality

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the British Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences' recent report on local actions to reduce health inequalities, published in January 2014; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The Government welcomes the publication from the British Academy 'If you could do one thing—Nine local actions to reduce health inequalities' as an interesting contribution to the debate on reducing health inequalities at a local level.
	The contributors to the report are highly regarded academic social scientists who are demonstrating some practical applications of their research for local authorities.
	Local action is critical to reducing health inequalities. We have transferred responsibility for public health to local government to provide a local focus for action, backed it with £5.46 billion over two years, and promoted action on health inequalities through the Public Health Outcomes Framework and the new health inequalities duties on the health system.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how Quality Premium funding agreements and the Outcomes Framework ensure a continued zero tolerance approach to hospital acquired infections.

Daniel Poulter: The current Quality Premium arrangements in relation to health care associated infections cover the incidence of both Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection. 12.5% of the Quality Premium payment value is available to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for whom there are no reported cases of MRSA bacteraemia assigned to the CCG and for whom their reported C. difficile cases are at or below the defined thresholds for that CCG. In this way CCGs are: currently incentivised to work with their provider organisations to prevent any cases of MRSA bacteraemia and to deliver continued reductions in C difficile cases.
	The NHS Outcomes Framework exists to provide a national level overview of how well the national health service is performing, to provide an accountability mechanism between the Secretary of State and NHS England for the effective spend of NHS funds and to act as a catalyst for driving up quality throughout the NHS by encouraging a change in culture and behaviour. Domain 5 of the NHS Outcomes Framework relates to patient safety and includes two indicators in relation to health care associated infections, covering the incidence of MRSA and the incidence of C difficile. This ensures that improvements in relation to health care associated infections are considered a priority for the work of NHS England and the wider NHS.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts have failed to reach their targets for reducing hospital acquired infections; and how many such trusts have been fined for such a failure in each of the last three years.

Daniel Poulter: The following tables provide the number of trusts that have breached their Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile objectives over the last three years.
	
		
			 MRSA Number of trusts breaching their objective 
			 2010-11 36 
			 2011-12 36 
			 2012-13 55 
			 2013-14 1 123 
			 1 Forecast 
		
	
	
		
			 Clostridium difficile Number of trusts breaching their objective 
			 2010-11 9 
			 2011-12 50 
			 2012-13 59 
			 2013-141 91 
			 1 Forecast Source: The information in the previous tables is supplied by NHS England. 
		
	
	In relation to the number of sanctions applied to those trusts that have breached their objectives, NHS England is unable to provide this information as it is not collected centrally.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to bring the new vaccine for Crohn's disease developed by Professor Hermon-Taylor forward to the human trial stage; and how much funding his Department has allocated to such work.

Daniel Poulter: The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including Crohn's disease and vaccines. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and the national health service, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.
	The NIHR is not currently funding any Crohn's vaccine development work by Professor Hermon-Taylor at St George's, University of London or by researchers at other institutions.

Medical Records: Data Protection

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS patients' details and medical records are safeguarded by insurance companies; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The Health and Social Care Information Centre will only share identifiable patient data where there is a legal basis to do so and only for purposes that promote health and adult social care services, and will not release this kind of data for commercial insurance purposes.

Meningitis

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2014, Official Report, columns 840-1W, on meningitis, if he will publish the report to him by the Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation of their two meetings in February. [R]

Jane Ellison: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will publish the minute of the meeting held on 11 and 12 February 2014 no later than 26 March 2014, in accordance with its commitment to publish a minute of any meeting of the main committee within six weeks. The minute will be accompanied by a statement from the committee outlining their findings regarding the use of meningococcal B vaccine in the United Kingdom.

NHS: Crimes of Violence

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS staff were assaulted in health centres and hospitals in Lancashire in 2013; in which locations each assault occurred; and what the role was of the member of staff assaulted in each case.

Daniel Poulter: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the number of reported physical assaults against NHS staff in 2012-13 is contained in the document; ‘Tables showing the number of reported physical assaults on NHS staff in 2012-13’ has been placed in the Library. The tables cover 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 which is the latest period for which information is available. They show the employing NHS bodies of victims of assault but not the location of assaults or the roles of staff assaulted.

Nurses

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trained nurses were not registered to practice in England in each of the last five years.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not hold this information.
	The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) holds a register of nearly 467,000 nurses and midwives registered to practise in England. Nurses must be registered with the NMC to work as a nurse. To keep their registration up to date, nurses also need to renew their registration every three years.
	More information is available at the NMC website at:
	www.nmc-uk.org/

Nurses

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses there were per 100,000 population in (a) the latest month for which figures are available and (b) the equivalent month in each of the last five years.

Daniel Poulter: The numbers of qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff per 100,000 population working in the national health service in England for November 2013, the latest month available, and each November from 2009 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services provisional monthly statistics: Full-time equivalent qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff in England per 100,000 population as at 30 November each specified year—England 
			 As at November each year Number 
			 2009 596 
			 2010 592 
			 2011 581 
			 2012 577 
			 20131 585 
			 1 Figures are calculated using full time equivalent nursing figures from the provisional monthly work force statistics as at 30 November 2009-13, against the Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates, from 2009-12. The 2013 figure has used the 2012 ONS population estimate as these are the most recent data available from the ONS. Note: These statistics relate to the contracted positions within English NHS organisations and may include those where the person assigned to the position is temporarily absent, for example on maternity leave. Sources: Health and Social Care Information Centre Provisional Monthly Workforce Statistics. ONS mid-year population estimates.

Nurses

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on how many nurses will retire in the next five years.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not hold information on the number of nurses who will retire in the next five years.
	The Nursing and Midwifery Council holds a register of over 670,000 nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, it also holds a range of statistics drawn from the register. These include the numbers of people on the different parts of the register and the age and gender of people on the register.
	In relation to nurses working in the national health service, the NHS annual work force census published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre shows the age profile of nurses working for the NHS in England as at 30 September each year. The age profile of nurses working in the NHS in 2012 is shown in the following table. The next annual work force census will be published on 25 March with data at 30 September 2013.
	For those nurses working in the NHS, the NHS Pension Scheme for England and Wales has a normal pension age of 60 for 1995 section members or 65 for 2008 section members. Some nurses have a reserved right to a normal pension age of 55 upon meeting qualifying criteria. However nurses do not have to retire upon reaching that age and can continue working.
	
		
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff by age, England as at 30 September 2012 
			  Headcount 
			 All ages 346,410 
			 Under 25 13,281 
			 25 to 34 70,484 
			 35 to 44 105,144 
			 45 to 54 114,473 
			 55 to 64 40,918 
			 65 and over 2,110 
			 Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre 2012 Non-Medical Workforce Census

Obesity: Children

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to tackle rising rates of obesity among children in England.

Jane Ellison: Obesity rates in children are not rising. They fell between 2011 and 2012 to 13.7%, the lowest level since 1998.
	However, rates remain too high and we are committed to further progress on child obesity and have a well-developed and wide-ranging programme of actions. These include working with a wide range of partners including Public Health England, NHS England, other Government Departments including the Department for Education and Department for Transport, and industry through the Public Health Responsibility Deal. Key initiatives include Change4Life, the National Child Measurement Programme, Change4Life Sports Clubs and School Sports Funding.
	Our national ambition for a downward trend in excess weight in children by 2020 requires collective action by Government, businesses, health and care professionals, and individuals.
	Source:
	Health Survey for England, 2012. All children aged 2 to 15.

Smoking

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to publicise the effects of smoking on health.

Jane Ellison: Government has run a number of campaigns in recent years to publicise the effects of smoking on health and encourage people to quit smoking, through the Department of Health and from April 2013, Public Health England (PHE).
	From April to June 2012, the Department ran a 'Smokefree homes and cars' campaign, which brought to life the fact that over 80% of smoke is invisible and showed children breathing in the smoke, with the message ‘If you could see the damage you would stop’. PHE re-ran this campaign in June and July 2013.
	From December 2012 to March 2013, the Department ran the 'Mutation' campaign, which dramatised the invisible damage caused by cigarettes by showing a tumour growing on a cigarette, with the message that every 15 cigarettes you smoke causes a mutation that can become cancer.
	In December 2013, PHE launched a new health harms campaign called ‘Toxic cycle’, showing how smoking makes the blood thick and dirty with toxins, which circulate through the body in seconds increasing the chances of a heart attack or stroke.
	Further information on the harms of smoking can be found on the Smokefree website at:
	www.nhs.uk/smokefree
	and also in the range of Smokefree support products.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Maternity Leave

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of civil servants in the Law Officers’ Departments who had been on maternity leave were still employed in the civil service (a) six and (b) 12 months after their return to work in each of the last five years.

Oliver Heald: The following table contains details on the proportion of civil servants still employed within six and 12 months of returning to work after maternity leave.
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  Treasury Solicitor’s Department (TSol)1 Serious Fraud Office (SFO) Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)2 
			  Still employed after Six months Still employed after 12 months Still employed after Six months Still employed after 12 months Still employed after Six months Still employed after 12 months 
			 2009 90.0 90.0 25 25 97.92 95.83 
			 2010 96.7 96.7 100 100 96.69 95.04 
			 2011 97.1 94.1 100 100 89.80 86.94 
			 2012 88.2 85.3 100 100 95.67 90.91 
			 2013 97.7 97.7 3— 3— 90.78 89.81 
			 1 TSol data also covers the Attorney-General’s Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. 2 These data are drawn from the CPS I-Trent HR database and may be subject to change due to retrospective changes made in the future. 3 All SFO staff who took maternity leave in 2013 are still on leave but have indicated that they plan to return to work.

Pagers

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Attorney-General how many pagers have been provided to staff by the Law Officers' Departments since May 2010; and what the cost to the Law Officers' Departments was of providing those pagers.

Dominic Grieve: The Attorney-General's Office has three pagers which are used by press office staff. Since December 2010 has spent £1,861.34 (ex VAT) on them. No financial data relating to pager usage is held before this date.
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) currently has two pagers remaining on a monthly rolling contract and the total cost of providing pagers from May 2010 (when there were three in use) to January 2014 equates to £497.40 (including VAT).
	No pagers have been provided to staff of the other Law Officers since May 2010.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Gambling

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to provide support to the families of problem and addicted gamblers.

Helen Grant: The Government takes the issue of problem gambling and its effects on families and communities very seriously. Support to those suffering from gambling addiction and their families is provided through a system of voluntary contributions by the gambling industry to the Responsible Gambling Trust; these contributions then fund or part-fund organisations such as GamCare, the Gordon Moody Association and the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic. The Responsible Gambling Trust will spend around £5 million on its education and treatment programmes in 2013-14.

Music: Finance

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Arts Council gave to (a) opera and (b) brass bands in each of the last three years.

Edward Vaizey: The Arts Council makes its funding decisions independently of Government, and DCMS does not therefore hold the information requested. However, the Arts Council has provided the following figures:
	
		
			  Opera Brass bands 
			 2010-11 69,748,715 75,521 
			 2011-12 65,850,274 289,739 
			 2012-13 80,919,910 362,829 
			 2013-14 65,862,659 550,495 
			 2014-15 65,009,914 531,626 
			 Grand total 347,391,472 1,810,210

Pagers

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pagers have been provided to staff by her Department since May 2010; and what the cost to the Department was of providing those pagers.

Helen Grant: The information is as follows:
	
		
			 Pagers supplied by Vodaphone Paging 
			  £ 
			 May 2010 to March 2011  
			 Cost of pages 760.74 
			 Cost of replacements 470 
			   
			 April 2011 to March 2012  
			 Cost of pages 713.64 
			 Cost of replacements 320 
			   
			 April 2012 to March 2013  
			 Cost of pages 713.64 
			 Cost of replacements 0 
			   
			 April 2013 to February 2014  
			 Cost of pages 654.17 
			 Cost of replacements 0 
		
	
	As at 28 February 2014 there are 11 pagers all held by the Press Office.

Screen Yorkshire

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Screen Yorkshire since the regional screen agencies were disbanded.

Edward Vaizey: I congratulate Screen Yorkshire for its track record in raising alternative sources of funding. In 2012 it established the Yorkshire content fund, a £15 million co-investment fund with £7.5 million of European regional development fund (ERDF) investment, which has already been widely recognised by industry for its impact locally and nationally. The fund has invested in over 20 highly successful productions to date, with reports from production to date indicating that the first £4 million of ERDF money invested has so far produced direct spend in the region of over £15 million. In February this year Screen Yorkshire announced it is to receive an additional £7.5 million from the ERDF, raising the total value of the fund to £30 million, which will greatly benefit the film, television and digital content sector across the Yorkshire region in terms of projects and job creation.

Video Games: Tax Allowances

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on providing tax relief to the video games sector.

Edward Vaizey: In 2012 the Government announced plans for a video games tax relief to support the production of culturally British games and remains fully committed to introducing this measure, subject to EU state aid clearance. DCMS has been working closely with HM Treasury to support them on implementation of the tax relief, including on providing the European Commission with the evidence it needs to conclude its state aid investigation as soon as possible.

CABINET OFFICE

Death: Bacterial Diseases

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people have been recorded in the UK from antibiotic-resistant bacterial meningitis infection by age group in each year since 1990;
	(2)  how many deaths of infants up to the age of one year have been caused by multi-drug resistant bacterial infection; and from which infections such infants have died in each year since 1990;
	(3)  how many deaths of people aged 70 or over were caused by multi-drug resistant bacterial infection; and from which infections such people have died in each year since 1990;
	(4)  how many deaths of children aged (a) between one and 10 years and (b) 10 and 16 years were caused by multi-drug resistant bacterial infection; and from which infections each such person died in each year since 1990;
	(5)  how many treatment failures due to multi-drug resistant bacterial infection leading to death have occurred in each year since 1990; and from which infections each such person has died;
	(6)  how many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from MRSA ST398 there were in the UK in each year since 2000;
	(7)  how many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from monophasic salmonella typhimurium there were in the UK in each year since 2000;
	(8)  how many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from new type MRSA which has a mecC rather than a mecA gene there were in the UK in each year since 2000;
	(9)  how many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from antibiotic-resistant foodborne campylobacter infection there were in the UK in each year since 1990;
	(10)  how many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from antibiotic-resistant foodborne salmonella infection there were in the UK in each year since 1990;
	(11)  how many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from antibiotic-resistant osteomyelitis infection there were in the UK in each year since 1990;
	(12)  how many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from antibiotic-resistant pneumonia infection where bacteria were confirmed as cause there were in the UK in each year since 1990.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Joe Grice, dated March 2014
	In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent questions to the Secretary of State for Health asking:
	1. How many deaths of infants up to the age of one year have been caused by multi-drug resistant bacterial infection; and from which infections in the UK, in each year, from 1990 [189912].
	2. How many deaths in people aged 70 or over were caused by multi-drug resistant bacterial infection; and from which infections, in the UK in each year, from 1990 [189913].
	3. How many deaths in children aged (a) between one and 10 years and (b) 10 and 16 years were caused by multi-drug resistant bacterial infection; and from which infections, in the UK in each year, from 1990 [189914].
	4. How many treatment failures due to multi-drug resistant bacterial infection leading to death; and from which infections, in the UK in each year, from 1990 [189915].
	5. How many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from MRSA ST398 there were in the UK in each year since 2000 [189916].
	6. How many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from monophasic salmonella typhimurium there were in the UK in each year since 2000 [189917].
	7. How many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from new type MRSA which has a mecC rather than a mecA gene there were in the UK in each year since 2000 [189918].
	8. How many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from antibiotic-resistant foodborne Campylobacter infection there were in the UK in each year since 1990 [189919].
	9. How many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from antibiotic-resistant foodborne salmonella infection there were in the UK in each year since 1990 [189920].
	10. How many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from antibiotic-resistant osteomyelitis infection there were in the UK in each year since 1990 [189921].
	11. How many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people from antibiotic-resistant pneumonia infection where bacteria were confirmed as cause there were in the UK in each year since 1990 [189922].
	12. How many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people have been recorded in the UK from antibiotic-resistant bacterial meningitis infection by age group in each year since 1990. [189930].
	The underlying cause of death is coded by ONS using the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). The current version of the ICD does not provide specific codes for gene/strain specific pathogens or drug resistant strains of infections. To find out the gene/strain of an infection an individual died from or whether or not they died from a drug resistant strain, a comprehensive text search of all the information recorded by the medical practitioner or coroner on the death certificate would need to be carried out. This information cannot be provided due to disproportionate cost.
	Annual statistical bulletins on deaths involving MRSA and Clostridium difficile are available on the ONS website at the links below. These reports are produced by carrying out text searching of all of the information provided by the medical practitioner or coroner on the death certificate.
	MSRA:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health2/deaths-involving-mrsa/2008-to-2012/index.html
	Clostridium difficile:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health2/deaths-involving-clostridium-difficile/2012/index.html

Employment: East Midlands

Andy Sawford: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) Corby and East Northamptonshire, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) the East Midlands who have jobs which primarily require working (i) during the day and (ii) at night.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Joe Grice, dated March 2014
	In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the estimate of the number of people in (a) Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) the East Midlands who have jobs which primarily require working (i) during the day and (ii) at night. 189427
	The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides estimates of people working particular shifts. For the period April-June 2013 it is estimated that 32,000 people in the East Midlands worked permanent night shifts. This does not include people who occasionally work night shifts. It is not possible to estimate the number who primarily work during the day as this is not asked on the survey.
	Employment estimates for Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency and Northamptonshire are available from the Annual Population Survey (APS). However, estimates relating to shift working are not available from this source.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. It is estimated that the true value is likely to lie between 21,000 and 43,000.

Former Prime Ministers

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much in public duty costs allowance has been paid to each former Prime Minister in each year since 2010; what the limit is of the public duty costs allowance for former Prime Ministers; when that limit was last reviewed; whether the public duty costs allowance is payable in addition to their parliamentary allowances to former Prime Ministers who remain Members of Parliament; what audit is undertaken of claims made under the public duty costs allowance by former Prime Ministers; what checks are made to ensure that claims against the allowance meet the criteria for funding from the allowance; what guidance is provided to former Prime Ministers on claiming from the public duty costs allowance; and if he will place in the Library a copy of that guidance.

Francis Maude: The amounts paid in 2011-12 and 2012-13 are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2011-12  
			 Gordon Brown 114,998.17 
			 Baroness Thatcher 109,191.00 
			 John Major 115,000.00 
			 Tony Blair 115,000.00 
			   
			 2012-13  
			 John Major 114,996.00 
			 Gordon Brown 100,315.68 
			 Baroness Thatcher 74,087.76 
			 Tony Blair 115,000.00 
		
	
	The current limit for the PDCA is £115,000. The limit is reviewed on an annual basis.
	Former Prime Ministers will continue to receive the PDCA if they are a sitting MP, provided they are not serving as Leader of the Opposition.
	Claims are processed by the Cabinet Office and form part of the annual audit of Cabinet Office expenditure.
	All former Prime Ministers are provided with guidance on the PDCA. A copy of this has been placed in the Library of the House.

Government Departments: Procurement

Andy Sawford: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Government contracts of what value have been awarded to companies or projects based in (a) Corby and East Northamptonshire and (b) Northamptonshire since May 2010.

Nick Hurd: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Livingston (Graeme Morrice) on 16 December 2013, Official Report, column 453W.
	Information on government suppliers within a specific constituency or local authority area is not held centrally.

Manufacturing Industries: Females

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of the proportion of manufacturing jobs held by women in (a) each English region, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Joe Grice, dated March 2014
	In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of the proportion of manufacturing jobs held by women in (a) each English region, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.
	Figures for the proportion of manufacturing jobs held by women in (a) each English region, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland, for the most recent period, Q3 2013, can be found in the table below:
	
		
			 Percentage of UK manufacturing workforce jobs which are female 
			  Percentage 
			 North East 17 
			 North West 22 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 24 
			 East Midlands 26 
			 West Midlands 21 
			 East 25 
			 London 32 
			 South East 23 
			 South West 25 
			 Wales 20 
			 Scotland 26 
			 Northern Ireland 23 
			 United Kingdom 24 
			 Source: Figures obtained from 2013 Q3 Workforce Jobs Estimates

Pagers

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many pagers have been provided to staff by his Department since May 2010; and what the cost to the Department was of providing those pagers.

Nick Hurd: As was the case prior to the last general election various officials are provided with pagers when there is a business case to do so. We do not hold details centrally of when pagers were purchased but currently spend £360 a month on the services.

EDUCATION

Child Minding

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what level of inspection fees for (a) individual childminders and (b) childminder agencies Ofsted are considering; and how much it costs Ofsted to carry out inspections of each type of childcare provision.

Elizabeth Truss: The costs of carrying out inspections are a matter for Ofsted and Her Majesty's chief inspector will be writing to the hon. Member about this. A copy of that letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
	In relation to fees for Ofsted registered childminders, the registration fee is currently set at £35, and the annual fee for these childminders is also £35. We will announce the fees for childminder agencies in due course.

Faith Schools

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will review his Department's guidance on school uniform in religion-specific schools to exclude items of clothing of religious significance so that they remain the right of the child to wear or not to wear.

David Laws: There are no plans to review the school uniform guidance at this time.
	In September 2013 we published clear guidance to all schools, including academies and free schools, on developing a school uniform policy. This advises schools of the need to have regard to their obligations under equalities legislation, and to act sensibly and fairly in the interests of their students.
	We expect schools to take a flexible approach and be willing to consider reasonable requests to vary their uniform policy to accommodate individual pupils' beliefs. We would encourage any parents who have concerns about the uniform policy at their child's school to raise them first with the school, including through the school's published complaints procedure where appropriate.
	The guidance can be found here:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform

Free School Meals

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when the decision to let a contract for a package of help and advice on universal free school meals was made; for how much this contract is estimated to amount; and when he expects to announce the provider.

David Laws: We issued an invitation to tender for the universal infant free school meals implementation support contract on 6 December 2013. On 25 February 2014 we confirmed that the successful bidder was the consortium jointly led by the Children's Food Trust and the Lead Association for Catering in Education. We are currently finalising the details of the contract, which will have a value of £9.6 million. We plan to launch the service shortly.

Free Schools

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost to it of the 18 free schools cancelled or withdrawn during the pre-opening process;
	(2)  what proportion of the 18 cancelled free school applications were in (a) Yorkshire and (b) London;
	(3)  what representations he has received from each of the providers of the 18 free schools which had a scheme cancelled or withdrawn; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many of the 18 cancelled free school applications had a site purchased and assigned to the school.

Edward Timpson: As of 27 February 2014, 19 free school applications had been cancelled or withdrawn during the pre-opening process. Details on expenditure on cancelled or withdrawn free schools projects are published online and regularly updated:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-expenditure-for-free-schools
	The 19 schools include one school that went on to open as a university technical college and another which opened as a sponsored academy instead. Of the remaining 17 schools, five were to be based in Yorkshire and Humber and four in London.
	Whenever a free school project is to be cancelled or withdrawn, the Department for Education discusses this with the relevant free school trust. The Department also seeks to reclaim any project development grants that remain unspent.
	There are no instances where a site has been purchased or assigned specifically to a single free school project that was then cancelled or withdrawn. However, there is one instance where a site was purchased which was to be shared by two free school projects. One of those has now been cancelled or withdrawn. The Education Funding Agency is working with the remaining free school trust and the local authority in order to determine the usage of this site.

Free Schools

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 217W, on free schools, how many of the free schools that have a rental or leasehold agreement for the site of their school are owned by a (a) local authority and (b) company.

Edward Timpson: We do not hold the information requested centrally for all open free school sites and collating it would incur disproportionate cost.

Internet: Bullying

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department gives to schools in assisting parents and pupils to tackle social media bullying which occurs outside of school time.

Elizabeth Truss: The Government recognises that educating pupils about e-safety is key to tackling cyberbullying and protecting children online.
	From September 2014, e-safety will be taught at all four key stages. It covers responsible, respectful and secure use of technology, as well as ensuring that pupils are taught age-appropriate ways of reporting any concerns they may have about what they see or encounter online.
	In addition the Department is providing over £4 million funding over two years from spring 2013 to four anti-bullying organisations. These include BeatBullying, the Diana Award, Kidscape and the National Children's Bureau. While this funding has been awarded to specific projects to reduce bullying in general this can, and does, include work to tackle cyberbullying.
	More widely, the Government is working to protect children online through the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) which brings together representatives from government, industry, law enforcement, academia, charities and parenting groups.
	The Government has also ensured that all internet customers will be given the opportunity to install free and easy to use filters which can be used by parents to prevent their children from accessing harmful content.

Kings Science Academy

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what basis he concluded that all the critical information regarding Kings Science Academy Bradford had been passed on to Action Fraud.

Edward Timpson: As I have stated previously, officials at the Department for Education reported the case by telephone to Action Fraud's national call centre on 25 April 2013. An additional telephone call was made to West Yorkshire Police's Economic Crime Unit, who confirmed that this was the correct way to report fraud and that no further action was required.
	On 1 November 2013, a call was received from Action Fraud in which they apologised for their handling of the Department's report, stating that they had wrongly categorised the call as an information report when it should have been a crime report. There has never been any suggestion from the police or Action Fraud that the report lacked any critical information or was not reported correctly.

Languages: Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the differences in the teaching of modern languages in state-funded comprehensive schools and in mainstream independent secondary schools. [R]

Elizabeth Truss: No formal research has been conducted into this issue. However, informal analysis suggests that the key features of good practice in languages teaching in independent schools and in state schools with outstanding languages teaching are the same. Common features include high levels of teacher subject knowledge, teaching being supported by strong extra-curricular activities including school trips, and strong support from school leaders.
	The new curriculum for foreign languages at key stage 2 (ages 7-11) and the more demanding curriculum for modern foreign languages at key stage 3 (ages 11-14), which come into force from September 2014, will raise the quality of language teaching in state schools. The inclusion of a modern or ancient language in the English Baccalaureate is already encouraging more young people to take a language at GCSE level. The numbers sitting a language GCSE are now at a five-year-high.

Mandarin: Curriculum

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to expand the UK languages curriculum to encompass Mandarin.

Elizabeth Truss: The Prime Minister has pledged to increase the number of people learning Mandarin Chinese in the UK from 200,000 to 400,000 by 2020. Offering more young people the chance to learn Mandarin will help in our efforts to encourage mobility between the UK and China and help ensure the long-term success of our economy and society.
	A number of organisations are carrying out activity to further these aims. The British Council is working with Hanban, the Office of Chinese Language Council International, to increase demand for Mandarin teaching in UK schools and to address accessibility, for example by increasing the provision of Chinese Language Assistants. The Institute of Education's Confucius Institute is working with HSBC to promote more teaching of Mandarin in primary schools; and the Confucius Institute is also running the ‘Accelerating Mandarin Chinese for London’ programme. The grant for this comes from the £24 million London Schools Excellence Fund, set up by the Mayor of London, with funding from the Department for Education. The Department is taking a close interest in this work and providing encouragement and support at a high level.
	We have also introduced a foreign language at key stage 2 (ages seven to 11) as part of the new national curriculum which comes into force from September 2014; and the inclusion of a modern or ancient language in the English Baccalaureate is already encouraging more young people to take a language at GCSE level. The numbers sitting a language GCSE are now at a five-year-high, with entries for Chinese rising by around 20% in 2012-13.

Maternity Pay

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the standard level and duration is of contractual maternity pay paid to civil servants in his Department.

Elizabeth Truss: In 2007 the provision for employers to pay statutory maternity pay increased from 26 weeks to 39 weeks. As a result the Department for Education increased their maternity leave package, from 28 weeks at full pay to 28 weeks at full pay plus 11 weeks at statutory maternity pay, to ensure the policy remained compliant with the legislation change. This arrangement remains in place.

Pagers

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pagers have been provided to staff by his Department since May 2010; and what the cost to the Department was of providing those pagers.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education does not hold the information requested centrally.

Pre-school Education: Greater London

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of additional early years education places in London resulting from the £8 million funding announced by his Department on 18 December 2013.

Elizabeth Truss: It is for individual London authorities to determine how best to use their allocation to expand the provision for two, three and four-year olds. We are encouraging local authorities to support school nurseries to open from eight till six and offer more flexible hours for parents. This will enable more parents to take their free 15-hours of early education for two, three and four-year olds at convenient times.
	Individual local authority allocations to fund the extended early learning programme for two year-olds for the 2014 to 2015 financial year were published on 18 December 2013 and they are available from gov.uk via this link:
	http://bit.ly/1dm83fs

Pupil Exclusions: Autism

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many informal exclusions of students with autism there were in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in England in each of the last four years;
	(2)  what guidance his Department offers to schools about the exclusion of students with autism.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education does not collect data on the use of informal exclusions. The Department's statutory exclusion guidance makes clear that all exclusions from school must be lawful, reasonable and fair. There is no excuse for a school not to adhere to the correct process, and Ofsted takes seriously any evidence that a school has acted unlawfully in excluding a pupil.
	The exclusion guidance emphasises to schools the importance of early intervention to address underlying causes of disruptive behaviour, including, where appropriate, an assessment of whether suitable provision is in place to support any special educational needs (SEN) a pupil may have. It also states that head teachers should, as far as possible, avoid excluding permanently any pupil with a statement of SEN.
	In addition, the Department is currently providing, over a two-year period, £440,000 in funding to the National Autistic Society. Part of this funding is being used to employ an exclusions adviser who can give advice to parents and professionals to help prevent unlawful exclusion and reduce the need for formal exclusion from school.
	The Department will continue to work with National Autistic Society, Ambitious about Autism and other groups to help improve provision for children and young people with autism.

Schools

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what analysis his Department has carried out of the comparable value for money of (a) community schools other than academies and (b) free schools.

David Laws: The Department for Education carried out a review of efficiency in the school system in 2013 and the final report was published in June 2013. The report can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/financialmanagement/b0069984/vfm
	One of the proposals from the review was to develop a new indicator to provide a simple way for schools to compare their overall efficiency against other schools. The Department is currently in the process of developing such an indicator, which will be published as part of a benchmarking report card for each school or academy trust. The report card will show a school's key financial and performance data as compared with similar schools and we plan to send this out annually to all schools and academies.
	Currently, spend data for both maintained schools and academy trusts is published annually alongside the performance tables at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/
	The finance data are taken from the consistent financial reporting returns, submitted by all maintained schools, and the account returns data for academy trusts. The schools and academies whose data are published in the financial tables are grouped into three broad categories by free school meals bands (high, medium and low), so comparisons can be made between the spending patterns of similar institutions.
	The National Audit Office reported in ‘Establishing Free Schools’ (December 2013) that new free schools have been established quickly and at relatively low cost. For example, free schools' average construction costs have been approximately 45% lower than costs in other school building programmes. The report can be found at:
	http://www.nao.org.uk/report/establishing-free-schools

Schools: Admissions

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many school places in non-free schools have been provided in the UK between 2010 and 2014.

David Laws: The Department for Education collects information from each local authority on the number of available school places (school capacity) in state-funded primary and secondary schools (except special schools) through an annual survey. Local authorities are also required to provide estimates of future pupil numbers, which indicates the number of places that will be needed. The most recent data available relate to the position at May 2013:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-capacity-academic-year-2012-to-2013
	The following table shows the number of non-free school places in state-funded primary and secondary schools that were available in England between 2010 and 2013:
	
		
			 Number of school places 
			  2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 State-funded primary non-free school places 4,227,530 4,253,300 4,309,022 4,405,230 
			 State-funded secondary non-free school places 3,330,670 3,608,970 3,595,680 3,614,348 
			 Source: Published School Capacity Collection

Schools: Finance

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when the Government expects to publish its detailed consultation on the National Funding Formula for schools.

David Laws: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced in June that we would consult on how best to introduce a national fair funding formula, which will mean that all areas receive a fair allocation of school funding. We will announce the next steps shortly.

Schools: Standards

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the performance of schools sponsored by (a) AET and (b) Oasis; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education monitors the performance of all academies, including those that are part of Multi Academy Trusts such as AET and Oasis. Performance data for all AET and Oasis academies are published in the Department's performance tables, which can be found at
	www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance
	Where academies are seriously underperforming of not making sufficient progress, the Department will intervene by issuing a Pre-Warning Notice (PWN) and require that the Academy Trust provides an improvement action plan. All PWNs are published on the gov.uk.website. Where improvements are not being made quickly enough, Academy Trusts are prevented from taking on additional academies or alternative sponsors will be found.

Special Educational Needs

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what support and training exists in England for teachers to improve their ability to teach students with autism;
	(2)  what requirements there are for maintained schools to have access to a specialist autism teacher.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education is funding the Autism Education Trust £1.5 million over 2013-15 to provide autism training at three levels. This work builds on similar grant-funded support in 2011-13 by widening the training from schools to include early years providers and further education colleges and to cover the whole of England.
	It is for schools and local authorities to decide how best to organise their support for autistic children. All schools are expected to ensure that teachers have a good understanding of special educational needs (SEN) and are able to adapt teaching accordingly. The draft SEN Code of Practice requires this to be reflected in a school's performance management and professional development for teachers and support staff. All new school SEN co-ordinators must have received training to take on the role and that training covers different types of SEN, including autism.
	The Department is also supporting Nasen to develop a SEN gateway which will provide access to a range of free, quality-assured resources and training materials. This includes introductory and advanced materials on autism spectrum disorder.

Teachers: Surveys

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff West, Official Report, column 360W, on teachers: surveys; on what date he plans to publish the findings of the Teacher Workload Diary Survey 2013.

David Laws: The Department for Education published the 2013 Teacher Workload Survey on 28 February. The report setting out the survey's findings can be seen at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-workload-diary-survey-2013

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education: Northamptonshire

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many people in Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency are enrolled in adult skills sessions;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of adults in (a) Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) the East Midlands who are unable to (i) read and (ii) write;
	(3)  how many apprenticeships were started in the Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency in each industrial sector in each of the last five years;
	(4)  how many new apprenticeships were started in Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency in each of the last five years; and what the (a) age group and (b) gender of each such apprentice was.

Matthew Hancock: Final data for the 2012-13 academic year show that there were 6,000 adult (19+) learners participating in further education and skills in Corby parliamentary constituency.
	The 2011 Skills for Life survey Small Area modelled estimates1 provide information on the proportion of adults aged 16-65 with above and below the ‘functional literacy’ threshold2. The data do not separate reading and writing.
	The following table shows estimates for the proportion of people with below Level 1 literacy for Corby parliamentary constituency, Northamptonshire Local Enterprise Partnership3 (based on an aggregation of Northamptonshire local authority estimates) and the East Midlands region4.
	
		
			 Mean estimates of the proportion of people in the East Midlands region, Northamptonshire LEP and Corby constituency with below Level 1 literacy, 2011 
			 Area Proportion of people with below Level 1 literacy (%) 
			 Corby constituency 16.6 
			 Northamptonshire Local Enterprise Partnership 14.8 
			 East Midlands region 13.8 
			 Source: 2011 Skills for Life survey small area estimates and survey. 
		
	
	Apprenticeship data are not available by industrial sector. Learners may undertake a wide range of apprenticeship frameworks within one industry. Apprenticeship starts by geography (including parliamentary constituency) and sector subject area are published in a supplementary table to the SFR:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140107201041/http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/580C5BA0-9661-4224-A3D5-EE508DA6F5B4/0/Oct2013_Apprenticeships_SSA_Geography_Starts.xls
	Apprenticeship starts by geography (including parliamentary constituency) and age are published in a supplementary table to the SFR:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140107201041/http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3D49B725-2FD2-451E-9A5E-116D788E43F4/0/Nov2013_ApprenticeshipStartsbyGeographyLevelAge.xls
	The following table shows apprenticeship starts in Corby parliamentary constituency by gender.
	
		
			 Apprenticeship starts by Gender in Corby parliamentary constituency, 2008-09 to 2012-13 
			 Gender 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Female 310 330 590 660 860 
			 Male 230 240 360 530 620 
			 Total 540 570 950 1,190 1,490 
			 Notes 1. Geography information is based on the learners' home postcode 2. Figures for 2011-12 onwards are not directly comparable to earlier years due to the introduction of the Single ILR: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140107201041/http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/C05DCDD5-67EE-4AD0-88B9-BEBC8F7F3300/0/SILR_Effects_SFR_Learners_June12.pdf Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	1 Available online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/2011-skills-for-life-survey-small-area-estimation-data
	accessed on 26 February 2014.
	2 This is defined in the Leitch review as “the level needed to get by in life and work” (HM Treasury [December 2006] ‘Leitch Review of Skills. Prosperity for all in the global economy—world class skills. Final Report’, p. 43.) Level 1 is equivalent to GCSE grades D-G. Adults with skills below Level 1 can read or write, but their skills may be limited; for example, they may not be able to read bus or train timetables.
	3 Gibson, A. and P. Hewson (2012) 2011 Skills for Life Survey: Small Area Estimation Technical Report, BIS research report 81C: available online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/36077/12-1318-2011-skills-for-life-small-area-estimation-technical.pdf
	page 73.
	4 The regional estimate is derived from the sample-based 2011 Skills for Life survey, rather than modelled estimates.

Adult Education: Northamptonshire

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase the participation of older people in further education in Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency.

Matthew Hancock: Our approach in Corby and East Northamptonshire is the same as across the country—apprenticeships are an all age programme. Outside of apprenticeships, we want to maintain access to learning for older people and to support this we have introduced advanced learning loans for those aged 24 and above studying at level 3 and 4, to help meet up-front course fees and remove one of the main barriers to learning for older people. Community Learning is also an important part of the wider learning and skills offer, engaging people who are most disadvantaged and furthest from learning such as older people. It is funded through an annual budget of £210 million managed by the Skills Funding Agency and most provision is delivered or commissioned by local authority providers, further education colleges, large voluntary organisations and other providers. As part of our plans for local growth, local enterprise partnerships consider how to drive growth in their local areas and Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership has been working on a number of initiatives designed to support skills development, including working with business, education providers and public services to develop a comprehensive skills plan for the county to meet the needs of employers and learners.

Business: Loans

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with banks and payday loan companies on measures to ensure that small and medium-sized businesses are not penalised for repaying loans early.

Sajid Javid: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	Government Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of organisations as part of the usual policy making process.
	Decisions about whether to lend to specific individuals or businesses including repayment terms and conditions remain commercial decisions for providers of credit.

Ceramics

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what advice and guidance his Department issues to UK Trade and Investment locations abroad on sourcing ceramic-based promotional material (a) generally and (b) on the Britain is Great promotional campaign.

Michael Fallon: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not issue any specific guidance to UK Trade & Investment on sourcing ceramic-based promotional items. All procurement, including that for the GREAT Britain campaign, is guided by the Public Contracts Regulations and Cabinet Office guidance.

Disclosure of Information

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Government's response to the Whistleblowing framework: Call for Evidence will be published.

Jennifer Willott: The Government aims to publish its response to the call for evidence before Easter recess.

EU External Trade: USA

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness and desirability of the investor-state dispute settlement clause in the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

Michael Fallon: The UK has consistently pushed for an ambitious and broad agreement with all issues on the negotiating table. Negotiations are at an early stage and there is at yet no proposed text on Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS).
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills commissioned academic research into the impact of investor-state dispute settlement within the context of wider investment protection treaties to inform the UK position with regard to the upcoming investment treaties being negotiated by the EU.
	The research developed a framework for analysing the costs and benefits of investment protection treaties as a whole and applied the framework to assess the inclusion of investor-state dispute settlement provisions within proposed EU agreements with China and with the US (the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership). A copy of this research has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	Clearly the exact conditions of any investment provisions included in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will be essential in assessing their effectiveness and desirability. The desirability of including an ISDS clause in this agreement would also depend on an assessment of the precedent it would create for agreements with other countries.

EU External Trade: USA

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of whether the investor-state dispute settlement clause in the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership would allow corporations to take legal action against EU governments which enact or abide by legislation aimed at protecting human or consumer rights or the environment.

Michael Fallon: To date the UK has concluded 94 bilateral investment treaties. Negotiations are at an early stage for including similar provisions to those in the treaties in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. If an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) clause is included in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the Government will seek to strike an appropriate balance between protection for UK investors in the US, while at the same time ensuring that the Government's ability to regulate in the public interest is safeguarded.

Exports: Government Assistance

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how his Department is helping small and medium-sized enterprises increase the number of countries to which they export.

Michael Fallon: Through UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), the Government provides a wide range of services to help companies export. Those services include bespoke reports on specific markets, introductions to potential customers or agents, help with language and cultural issues, events at British embassies and consulates and a business opportunities service. This support is available to companies throughout the UK.
	UKTI also organises a wide range of events focused on market opportunities across the globe. For example, my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Investment (Lord Livingston of Parkhead), is leading a delegation of over 60 businesses from across the UK on a trade mission to Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia from 3 to 7 March 2014. In each country, he will support small and medium-sized enterprises to engage in a wide range of business opportunities in this fast-developing region.

JD Wetherspoon

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many meetings there have been between (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department and representatives of JD Wetherspoon plc in the last two years.

Jennifer Willott: Details of meetings held by Ministers and permanent secretaries with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found at: gov.uk
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills&publication_type=transparency-data
	Information requested in respect of other officials' meetings is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Land Registry

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will contact Google management to ask them to remove from Google all unofficial websites asking for money for services provided by the Land Registry.

Michael Fallon: The unofficial websites referred to are not illegal while they are not infringing Land Registry trademarks and displaying that they are independent of Land Registry.
	Land Registry closely monitors all websites which use their data to charge for services and that can result in the customer paying additional and unnecessary fees. Two websites have been closed down as a result of Land Registry's actions and many others forced to make changes. The only official website is:
	www.landregistry.gov.uk

Overseas Trade: India

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department has made on trade deals agreed between India and the UK since the visit by the Prime Minister in 2013.

Michael Fallon: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister visited India twice in 2013, in February and November, and was accompanied by a total of nearly 120 UK business people over the two trips. UK Trade and Investment has followed up with every company that accompanied the Prime Minister in order to help them expand their business links with India. In the period January—December 2013 the value of UK goods exports to India amounted to £5.05 billion, an increase of 11% over the same period in 2012.

Package Holidays: EU Law

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 168W, on telephone services, when his Department expects to implement the new Package Travel Directive Extending basic rate telephone provision.

Jennifer Willott: The European Commission's proposal for a new package travel directive is currently being negotiated. Member states are usually required to implement directives within two years of adoption. Assuming agreement is reached and the new directive is adopted in early 2015, we would expect to implement it in the UK in 2017.

Pagers

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many pagers have been provided to staff by his Department since May 2010; and what the cost to the Department was of providing those pagers.

Jennifer Willott: The Department has not provided any pagers to staff since May 2010.

Post Offices

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research his Department has conducted into the social benefit of Post Office branches to local communities.

Jennifer Willott: The Government fully understands and recognises the important role that post offices play in providing a wide range of vital services to the communities that they serve. The Government's policy statement, “Securing the Post Office network in the digital age”, published in November 2010, was clear on this point and made clear commitments that there would be no repeat of the closure programmes of the previous administration that saw nearly 5,000 communities lose their post offices. Since 2010 this Government has committed nearly £2 billion to maintain, modernise and protect the Post Office network.
	Additionally, the Department funds Consumer Futures via a levy on the postal services sector, allowing it to undertake independent research into the services provided by the Post Office and their effectiveness in meeting customer need.

Post Offices

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department has given to Post Office branches to diversify their services since May 2010.

Jennifer Willott: As shareholder, the Government does not play a role in operational matters, such as providing advice or support to individual subpostmasters. However, the Government has committed nearly £2 billion since 2010 to maintain, modernise, and protect the Post Office network. This includes funding the Network Transformation programme that is seeing investment into thousands of branches, helping subpostmasters to modernise, introduce new operational practices (such as offering longer opening hours and making better use of their premises), and to become more sustainable. For branches where Network Transformation is not a viable option, the Government is providing a £20 million improvement fund to enable those subpostmasters to develop and secure their businesses.

Post Offices

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how the £1.3 billion Government investment into the Post Office network will be spent over what time period.

Jennifer Willott: In November 2010, the Government set out its commitments to the Post Office in its policy statement "Securing the Post Office network in the digital age", which include maintaining a network of at least 11,500 branches; complying with strict access criteria; and providing for the modernisation of thousands of post offices. This is being supported by £1.34 billion funding, provided over the following years:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2011-12 180 
			 2012-13 410 
			 2013-14 415 
			 2014-15 330 
		
	
	Additionally, in November 2013, Jo Swinson MP announced to Parliament that the Government was committing a further £640 million covering the period April 2015 to March 2018 to ensure the Post Office network continues to be maintained, modernised and protected.

Post Offices

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the Post Office network of withdrawing car tax discs administration and similar services.

Jennifer Willott: In December 2013, the DVLA took a decision that car tax discs are to be phased out from October 2014, subject to legislation going through Parliament. DVLA's contract with Post Office Ltd for services relating to vehicles and motoring and the impact of any changes to arrangements is a commercial matter for the Post Office and DVLA. However I understand that DVLA customers who choose to pay for their car tax in post offices will continue to be able to do so.

Post Offices

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects of the Government's investment into the Post Office network.

Jennifer Willott: The Government set out clear and ambitious objectives in its 2010 policy statement, “Securing the Post Office network in the digital age”, which are being met and made possible by the funding provided by this Government. This includes maintaining a network that is at its most stable for two decades; a modernisation programme that has seen nearly 2,000 branches improved, with thousands more subpostmasters signed up to modernise over the coming years; a strong Post Office that has negotiated a long term commercial agreement with the Royal Mail, and has won every Government contract that it has bid for over the last two and a half years; and is successfully operating as an independent business for the first time in its history.

Post Offices: West Lothian

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many post offices have been located in (a) Livingston constituency and (b) West Lothian in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many Post Office branches have closed in (a) Livingston constituency and (b) West Lothian in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many Post Office branches in (a) Livingston constituency and (b) West Lothian have reduced their opening hours in each of the last five years;
	(4)  how many Post Office branches in (a) Livingston constituency and (b) West Lothian have reduced the number of services on offer in each of the last five years;
	(5)  how many people were employed by the Post Office in (a) Livingston constituency and (b) West Lothian in each of the last five years.

Jennifer Willott: The information requested is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, chief executive officer of Post Office Ltd, to reply to the hon. Member directly, and a copy will be placed in the Libraries of the House. However, I would note that the Government has committed nearly £2 billion since 2010, enabling the Post Office to maintain, modernise and protect a network of at least 11,500 branches that is compliant with the strict Government-set access criteria, and also that the network as a whole is at its most stable for two decades.

Skilled Workers

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish the most recent UK skills shortage by occupation list.

Matthew Hancock: The UK Commission for Employment and Skills published their most recent Employer Skills Survey on 30 January 2013. The survey sets out skills shortages by occupation across the UK and can be accessed via the UK Commissions website
	www.ukces.org.uk

JUSTICE

Begging and Vagrancy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons found guilty of begging appealed their conviction in each of the last three years; and how many attempted prosecutions resulted in acquittals in each of the last three years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of appeals against conviction or the number of acquittals where appellants or defendants were charged with an offence or offences contrary to Section 3 of the Vagrancy Act 1824 and Section 70 of the Criminal Justice Act 1982 (begging). Such data could not be reasonably obtained locally or nationally other than by a manual exercise at disproportionate cost.

Complaints

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints his Department has received from (a) members of the public and (b) staff in each year since 2010.

Shailesh Vara: The information requested in regard to complaints made against the Department by (a) members of the public and (b) staff, is not held centrally and would require every team within MOJ, its Agencies and arm’s length bodies to conduct a search of their files. This would result in disproportionate costs.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of time between application to initial award has been for awards issued by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The average (mean) time between application receipt and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) initially deciding the case is as follows for each of the last five full financial years:
	
		
			  Time (months) 
			 2008-09 9.7 
			 2009-10 8.5 
			 2010-11 7.2 
			 2011-12 7.8 
			 2012-13 8.8 
		
	
	These figures are set out in CICA's annual reports. In recent years CICA has been focussing on the cases waiting the longest, which is why the current trend for the time to an initial decision is upwards. CICA expect that trend to continue this year before coming back down again.

Domestic Violence

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written answer of 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 287W, on Domestic Violence, what the cost to his Department is of the Building Better Relationships programme.

Jeremy Wright: The fully apportioned cost to the National Offender Management Service of delivering the Building Better Relationships programme in the community in 2012-13 was £223,000. The programme was introduced during 2012-13.
	An equivalent breakdown of the cost of delivering individual accredited programmes in custody is not available from the prison costing system. For this reason it is not possible to derive the total cost to the Department.

Driving Offences

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many notifications of endorsement from a court or fixed penalty office of a driver who meets the criteria of the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 were sent to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in each of the last five years.

Shailesh Vara: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given to questions 187575 and 187576 on 13 February 2014, Official Report, column 740W.

Driving Offences: Fines

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much he received from victim surcharges on motoring offences and motoring fixed penalty notices in each year between 2010 and 2013; and what estimate he has made of such receipts in 2014.

Damian Green: As set out in the Government's response to the consultation 'Getting it Right for Victims and Witnesses', we intend to raise an additional £30 million for victims services through increased motoring fixed penalty notices in 2014. The increases were implemented in August 2013 and there is no data yet available on how much has been raised in the financial year 2013-14. It is not possible to determine Victim Surcharge receipts attributable to motoring offences, as such data is not differentiated by offence type.
	It is right that offenders, not taxpayers, foot the bill for the damage offenders cause so in October 2012 the Government increased and extended the Victim Surcharge to ensure criminals pay for victims' services, and that they pay more than they used to. These changes, along with increases to financial penalties including motoring fixed penalty notices, will help generate up to £50 million extra a year from offenders for victims’ services. This is in addition of the £66 million already spent by Government.

Electronic Tagging

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress his Department has made with the Information Commissioner on development of a code of practice for the electronic monitoring of offenders; and when such a code of practice will be published.

Jeremy Wright: The Crime and Courts Act 2013 provides a power for the courts to impose location monitoring (GPS tracking) as a requirement of a community order or a suspended sentence order. We are currently completing the new electronic monitoring contracts. The Ministry of Justice will consult the Information Commissioner about the Code of Practice before commencing the electronic monitoring provisions in the Crime and Courts Act 2013, in accordance with the commitment given to Parliament during the passage of the Bill.

Government Procurement Card

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent by his Department using a Government Procurement Card on (a) temporary recruitment of staff, (b) catering and catering supplies, (c) clubs, associations and organisations, (d) office stationery equipment and supplies, (e) car rental, (f) hotels and accommodation, (g) restaurants and bars and (h) leisure activities in each of the last five years.

Shailesh Vara: To provide the data on MOJ departmental GPC spend in the format that the right hon. Member has requested would incur disproportionate costs.

Homicide: Victim Support Schemes

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to help families bereaved through homicide after the Homicide Service has finished its work in their case.

Damian Green: The Ministry of Justice currently provides funding for a Homicide Service delivered by Victim Support, and is commissioning future service provision to families bereaved by homicide beyond the end of the current funding arrangements in October 2014. Our aim in funding a national Homicide Service is to provide support to families based on need and entitlement to, and provision of this support, is not therefore timebound.

Homicide: Victim Support Schemes

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what homicide services are being funded by his Department to help families bereaved through homicide committed before April 2010.

Damian Green: During 2013-14 the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has provided a total of £100,000 in funding to three specialist therapy organisations, ASSIST Trauma Care, Winston's Wish and Cruse Bereavement Care, to provide counselling and trauma care for those bereaved through homicide pre-2010. The. MOJ has also provided funding of £250,000 in total to 13 peer support groups, which provide help and advice to those bereaved through homicide at any time.

Hunting: Convictions

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for illegal taking of game there have been in the UK in each of the last three years.

Damian Green: The Government is committed to tackling wildlife crime, including through the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime. It works hard to support the police and other law enforcement agencies that have primary responsibility for enforcing wildlife controls.
	The number of offenders found guilty of offences relating to the illegal taking of game in England and Wales, from 2008 to 2012 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
	England and Wales related court proceedings statistics for these offences for calendar year 2013 are planned for publication in May 2014 as part of the annual Criminal Justice Statistics publication.
	Justice Statistics for Scotland and Northern Ireland are a matter for the relevant devolved administration.
	
		
			 Offenders found guilty at all courts of offences relating to the illegal taking of game1,England and Wales, 2008-20122, 3 
			  Number 
			 20084 1 
			 2009 5 
			 2010 2 
			 2011 1 
			 2012 __5 
			 1 Offences under Sections 3 and 24 of the Game Act 1831. 2 The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 4 Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. 5 Nill Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Legal Aid Scheme

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average payment was; and how many payments were made to legal aid providers for judicial review cases that were refused at permission stage in each of the last five years.

Shailesh Vara: At a cost of around £2 billion a year we have one of the most expensive legal aid systems in the world. We have made changes and proposed further reforms to reduce the cost of legal aid and to ensure that the legal aid system commands the confidence of the public. The Government is committed to providing value for money for the taxpayer and making legal aid sustainable for the future.
	Judicial review is an important way of challenging decisions by public authorities and will remain so. The following table shows the volume and mean legal aid costs claimed for all work on judicial review cases which ended after permission was refused by the court for each of the last five years.
	Our recently announced changes to legal aid funding for judicial review cases aim to ensure that meritless cases no longer receive taxpayer funding by only paying legal aid providers for work carried out if permission is granted or where the LAA exercises its discretion to pay the provider in a case where proceedings are issued but the case concludes prior to a permission decision being made.
	These figures include the legal aid costs on those cases where costs were met in full or in part by the other party in the case.
	The LAA has used outcome data reported by providers to establish whether or not a case ended after permission was refused. Due to errors when outcomes are reported to the LAA, there may be additional cases where permission was refused that cannot be identified from LAA data. Furthermore, as the data are live they may be subject to further changes and will differ slightly from the data provided previously in our impact assessment on the recent legal aid changes.
	The following data are correct as at 17 February 2014.
	
		
			 Financial year Volume of judicial review cases ending post permission refusal Average civil representation costs on these cases (£) 
			 2008-09 581 3,398.07 
			 2009-10 585 3,551.81 
			 2010-11 816 2,984.58 
			 2011-12 842 3,164.00 
			 2012-13 749 3.884.99

Members: Correspondence

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will direct the governor of HM Young Offender Institution Deerbolt to respond to the letter dated 24 January 2014 from the hon. Member for Hartlepool.

Jeremy Wright: The governor of HM Young Offender Institution Deerbolt has responded to the letter dated 24 January 2014 on 21 February 2014.

Ministers

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints have been received against named Ministers of his Department from (a) his Department's staff and staff of its agencies and (b) members of the public since May 2010.

Shailesh Vara: The information requested is not held centrally and would require every team within MO, its agencies and arm’s length bodies to conduct a search of their files. This would result in disproportionate costs.

Prison Sentences

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people were convicted of (a) burglary, (b) sexual assault, (c) grievous bodily harm, (d) rape, (e) manslaughter, (f) attempted murder, (g) forgery, (h) fraud, (i) theft of a motor vehicle, (j) theft from a person, (k) robbery, (l) sexual activity with a child under 16, (m) sexual activity with a child under 13, (n) sexual assault of a female, (o) rape of a male, (p) rape of a female, (q) sexual assault of a male, (r) child abduction, (s) abandoning children aged under two years, (t) cruelty or neglect of children, (u) wounding or other acts endangering life, (v) causing death by aggravated vehicle-taking, (w) causing death by driving while unlicensed or uninsured, (x) causing death of a child or a vulnerable person, (y) causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, (z) manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, (aa) causing death by reckless driving, (bb) threat or conspiracy to murder, (cc) perverting the course of justice, (dd) violent disorder, (ee) kidnapping, (ff) blackmail, (gg) intent to supply a controlled drug, (hh) possession of a controlled drug, (ii) criminal damage, (jj) arson, (kk) common assault, (ll) dangerous driving and (mm) firearms offences and received a custodial sentence of (i) less than six months, (ii) less than 12 months, (iii) less than two years and (iv) less than four years in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  what the average length of custodial sentence was for all people convicted of a crime in each year from 2002 to 2013;
	(3)  what the average length was of custodial sentence given to those convicted of (a) burglary, (b) sexual assault, (c) grievous bodily harm, (d) rape, (e) manslaughter, (f) attempted murder, (g) forgery, (h) fraud, (i) theft of a motor vehicle, (j) theft from a person, (k) robbery, (l) sexual activity with a child under 16 years, (m) sexual activity with a child under 13 years, (n) sexual assault of a female, (o) rape of a male, (p) rape of a female, (q) sexual assault of a male, (r) child abduction, (s) abandoning children aged under two years, (t) cruelty or neglect of children, (u) wounding or other acts endangering life, (v) causing death by aggravated vehicle-taking, (w) causing death by driving while unlicensed or uninsured, (x) causing death of a child or a vulnerable person, (y) causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, (z) manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, (aa) causing death by reckless driving, (bb) threat or conspiracy to murder, (cc) perverting the course of justice, (dd) violent disorder, (ee) kidnapping, (ff) blackmail, (gg) intent to supply a controlled drug, (hh) possession of a controlled drug, (ii) criminal damage, (jj) arson, (kk) common assault, (ll) dangerous driving and (mm) firearms offences in each year since 2002;
	(4)  what proportion of those convicted of (a) burglary, (b) sexual assault, (c) grievous bodily harm, (d) rape, (e) manslaughter, (f) attempted murder, (g) forgery, (h) fraud, (i) theft of a motor vehicle, (j) theft from a person, (k) robbery, (l) sexual activity with a child under 16 years, (m) sexual activity with a child under 13 years, (n) sexual assault of a female, (o) rape of a male, (p) rape of a female, (q) sexual assault of a male, (r) child abduction, (s) abandoning children aged under two years, (t) cruelty or neglect of children, (u) wounding or other acts endangering life, (v) causing death by aggravated vehicle-taking, (w) causing death by driving while unlicensed or uninsured, (x) causing death of a child or a vulnerable person, (y) causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, (z) manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, (aa) causing death by reckless driving, (bb) threat or conspiracy to murder, (cc) perverting the course of justice, (dd) violent disorder, (ee) kidnapping, (ff) blackmail, (gg) intent to supply a controlled drug, (hh) possession of a controlled drug, (ii) criminal damage, (jj) arson, (kk) common assault, (ll) dangerous driving and (mm) firearms offences received a custodial sentence in each year since 2002;
	(5)  in how many and what proportion of cases of (a) burglary, (b) sexual assault, (c) grievous bodily harm, (d) rape, (e) manslaughter, (f) attempted murder, (g) forgery, (h) fraud, (i) theft of a motor vehicle, (j) theft from a person, (k) robbery, (l) sexual activity with a child under 16 years, (m) sexual activity with a child under 13 years, (n) sexual assault of a female, (o) rape of a male, (p) rape of a female, (q) sexual assault of a male, (r) child abduction, (s) abandoning children aged under two years, (t) cruelty or neglect of children, (u) wounding or other acts endangering life, (v) causing death by aggravated vehicle-taking, (w) causing death by driving while unlicensed or uninsured, (x) causing death of a child or a vulnerable person, (y) causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, (z) manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, (aa) causing death by reckless driving, (bb) threat or conspiracy to murder, (cc) perverting to course of justice, (dd) violent disorder, (ee) kidnapping, (ff) blackmail, (gg) intent to supply a controlled drug, (hh) possession of a controlled drug, (ii) criminal damage, (jj) arson, (kk) common assault, (ll) dangerous driving and (mm) firearms offences in 2012 which resulted in a non-custodial sentence a victim impact statement was read out in court;
	(6)  in how many and what proportion of cases of (a) burglary, (b) sexual assault, (c) grievous bodily harm, (d) rape, (e) manslaughter, (f) attempted murder, (g) forgery, (h) fraud, (i) theft of a motor vehicle, (j) theft from a person, (k) robbery, (l) sexual activity with a child under 16 years, (m) sexual activity with a child under 13 years, (n) sexual assault of a female, (o) rape of a male, (p) rape of a female, (q) sexual assault of a male, (r) child abduction, (s) abandoning children aged under two years, (t) cruelty or neglect of children, (u) wounding or other acts endangering life, (v) causing death by aggravated vehicle-taking, (w) causing death by driving while unlicensed or uninsured, (x) causing death of a child or a vulnerable person, (y) causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, (z) manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, (aa) causing death by reckless driving, (bb) threat or conspiracy to murder, (cc) perverting the course of justice, (dd) violent disorder, (ee) kidnapping, (ff) blackmail, (gg) intent to supply a controlled drug, (hh) possession of a controlled drug, (ii) criminal damage, (jj) arson, (kk) common assault, (ll) dangerous driving and (mm) firearms offences in 2012 which resulted in a custodial sentence a victim impact statement was read out in court;
	(7)  what proportion of persons convicted were given custodial sentences in each year from 2002 to 2013.

Jeremy Wright: Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts, within the maximum penalty set by Parliament for the offence. Since 2010, those who break the law are now more likely to go to prison, and they go to prison for longer. In 2012, 26% of offenders convicted of an indictable offence were sentenced to immediate custody with an average sentence length of 17.0 months compared with 24% of offenders convicted of an indictable offence in 2010 with an average custodial sentence length of 16.2 months. This Government is creating a tough justice system with severe penalties available for serious offenders. We have already introduced automatic life sentences for a second serious sexual or violent offence, and we have announced plans to end automatic early release for child rapists, terrorists and all dangerous offenders. Our radical reforms to rehabilitation will mean for the first time every offender leaving prison spends at least 12 months under supervision, where currently around 50,000 are released each year with no statutory support. This will start to address the scandalous gap that allows our most chaotic offenders to leave prison with no support or supervision to turn their lives around.
	The table shows for offences referred to in the questions above, and for total offences, the number of offenders convicted, sentenced and sentenced to immediate custody in England and Wales, 2002 to 2012 (latest available). The table includes the custody rate, a breakdown of sentence length and the average custodial sentence length. Data for 2013 will be published in May 2014.
	The data requested is a sub-set of those sentenced for indictable offences in this period and excludes data on a range of other serious offences (particularly some sexual and drug offences). It is inadvisable to draw conclusions on sentencing practice based on figures for individual offences which may be misleading when small numbers are sentenced. The overall immediate custody rate and average custodial sentence length for indictable offences have both increased since 2002.
	Custody rates are highest for the most serious offences.
	Data is not centrally held that would allow us to separately identify whether, in all the cases for the offences listed which resulted in a custodial and non-custodial sentence, a victim impact statement was read out in court. As such, this information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The table will be placed in the Library of the House.

Prison Service

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the prison officer to prison ratio was in each prison in each month since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright: Staffing levels are being reviewed prison by prison as part of a ‘benchmarking approach’.
	Benchmarking has been agreed with the unions and the NAO has commented that the wider strategy for the prison estate is the most coherent and comprehensive for many years. It delivers efficiencies while ensuring that public sector prisons operate safely, decently and securely.
	Benchmarking optimises the skills of staff by introducing new ways of working and puts all prison officers in prisoner facing roles.
	The information requested has been placed in the Library. Information is available for both public and private sector establishments up until 30 September 2013. Information on officer numbers in private sector prisons up until 31 December 2013, the latest available period, is not held by NOMS and needs to be requested from each provider. I will write to you again when the information covering both public and private sector establishments is available.

Prison Service

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions wing closures occurred due to shortfalls in staffing in each prison, in each month since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright: The information regarding the number of occasions on which wing closures have occurred due to shortfalls in staffing in each prison is not collated centrally and is collected in different formats in each prison. The processes required to collect this data would incur disproportionate costs.

Prison Service: North East

Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse was of (a) transportation, (b) accommodation and (c) total expenditure for staff seconded on detached duty from each (i) prison and (ii) young offenders institute in the North East in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many staff of each (a) prison and (b) young offenders institution in the North East have taken detached duty in each year since 2010; and how many of those staff took detached duty on a (i) voluntary and (ii) compulsory basis.

Jeremy Wright: Information on the number of staff taking detached duty from prisons in the North East, and the associated cost, is not available centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
	It is possible to identify expenses paid in connection with long-term detached duty since the introduction of new systems in April 2012. The records indicate that no staff from the North East area were posted on long-term detached duty during 2012-13.

Prisoners

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether there is a difference in treatment of prisoners who maintain their innocence and those who admit their guilt; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: The National Offender Management Service must accept the verdicts of the courts and it follows that convicted prisoners have to be treated as being guilty of their offence(s). However, some allowance is made in the Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) policy for those whose conviction is the subject of a review by a higher court (appellants). Contrary to the position for other convicted prisoners, a recognised appellant who does not take part in offending behaviour programmes will not have that held against them when considering their IEP level.

Prisoners’ Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners on an Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork programme have been placed on a basic level of the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme in each prison in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013.

Jeremy Wright: Information on the numbers of prisoners on the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork programme who were placed on the basic level of the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Re-employment

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, column 226W, on re-employment, how much was paid to the staff referred to as part of their retirement package.

Jeremy Wright: The information for the combined amount of pension and lump sum awarded to the 14 members of staff concerned in their retirement package is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Retirements re-employed May 2010 to December 2013 
			  £ 
			 Total combined pension awarded 132,847.81 
			 Total combined lump sum awarded 444,052.41

Sexual Offences: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted in Preston for breaching their sex offenders order in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	A Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) can be imposed where an offender has been convicted of a relevant sexual or violent offence and prohibitions are necessary to protect the public from serious sexual harm.
	Data on the total number of registered sex offenders who were sent to custody for breach of their SOPO is published in the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) annual report. Data for Lancashire is set out in the table below.
	A further breakdown of this data below MAPPA area is not collected centrally. The MAPPA reports for 2009-13 may be found on the GOV.uk website. Reports published prior to 2009 may be found on the national archives website.
	
		
			  Number of registered sex offenders sent to custody for breach of a SOPO in Lancashire 
			 2012-13 0 
			 2011-12 0 
			 2010-11 0 
			 2009-10 1 
			 2008-09 0

Temporary Employment

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many temporary staff have been recruited by his Department and its agencies in each month since May 2010.

Shailesh Vara: The use of temporary staff enables the Department to respond flexibly to any changes in demand for our services. They can also provide a cost-effective and flexible way of filling posts for a short time, when the necessary skills are not already available in-house. The numbers of both temporary and permanent staff have fallen since September 2010.
	Temporary/casual employees are those that have a fixed term contract with a specific end date or are employed on a casual basis.
	The following table provides the information on the number of temporary staff recruited by the Ministry of Justice for the period May 2010 to December 2013. The figures relate to anyone recruited to any temporary contract of any length.
	
		
			 Headcount of temporary staff within MOJ HQ, HMCTS (known as HMCS and the Tribunals Service prior to April 2011), NOMS, OPG, Scotland Office (up to March 2011 only), Wales Office (up to March 2011 only) and LAA (from April 2013 only) 
			  Month MOJ NOMS Total 
			 May 2010 to March 2011 May 35 33 68 
			  June 79 17 96 
			  July 56 27 83 
			  August 82 41 123 
			  September 65 37 102 
			  October 73 37 110 
			  November 76 20 96 
			  December 28 11 39 
			      
			 April 2011 to March 2012 January 38 34 72 
			  February 27 32 59 
			  March 18 22 40 
			  April 9 21 30 
			  May 19 17 36 
			  June 20 28 48 
			  July 2 47 49 
			  August 28 34 62 
			  September 11 28 39 
			  October 24 45 69 
			  November 24 29 53 
			  December 12 23 35 
			      
			 April 2012 to March 2013 January 15 54 69 
			  February 16 67 83 
			  March 10 1 11 
			  April 8 42 50 
			  May 3 44 47 
			  June 5 39 44 
			  July 12 32 44 
			  August 11 23 34 
			  September 6 16 22 
			  October 6 22 28 
			  November 11 12 23 
			  December 2 5 7 
			      
			 April to December 2013 January 5 12 17 
			  February 0 4 4 
			  March 5 8 13 
		
	
	
		
			  April 7 22 29 
			  May 15 9 24 
			  June 7 12 19 
			  July 32 16 48 
			  August 6 32 38 
			  September 1 30 31 
			  October 5 13 18 
			  November 1 23 24 
			  December 3 11 14 
			 Grand total  918 1,132 2,050

Violent and Sex Offender Register: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in Preston are on the sex offenders register.

Norman Baker: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	Data on the total number of registered sexual offenders managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) is published in the MAPPA annual report. The most recent report was published on 31 October 2013 and shows that 1,542 registered sex offenders were managed under MAPPA in Lancashire in 2012-13. A more detailed breakdown below MAPPA area is not collected centrally.
	The MAPPA report for 2012-13 may be found on the GOV.uk website.

Witnesses: Protection

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to provide courts with additional powers to prevent the media harassment of witnesses nominally granted anonymity; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Government currently has no plans to do so. While witnesses who are subject to reporting restrictions which prohibit the publication of their identity can be approached by representatives of the media, the Editors Code of Practice prohibits intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit.
	Furthermore the courts have the power to find anyone molesting, assaulting or threatening a witness who is going to or returning from court in contempt, and under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 harassing a person is a criminal offence.

Young Offenders: Suicide

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the independent review into the self-inflicted deaths of 18 to 24 year olds in custody will take into account the specific risks for young women in custody.

Jeremy Wright: We are committed to the safety of prisoners and to preventing deaths in custody, including young adult women. The independent review into the self-inflicted deaths of 18 to 24-year-olds in custody will examine the learning from all deaths since 2007 in this age group, including of young women. The terms of reference of this review can be found at
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/deaths-in-custody-independent-review

Youth Custody

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what budgetary savings have been delivered by each planned reduction in the size of the youth secure estate over the last 10 years.

Jeremy Wright: The youth custodial population has fallen significantly in recent years and this has allowed considerable excess capacity to be decommissioned.
	The Youth Justice Board (YJB) is responsible for purchasing places in the youth custodial estate. Between 2004-05 and 2006-07 there was a small increase in the size of the youth estate. Capacity of the estate then remained constant until 2009-10 when the YJB began a programme of decommissioning in response to falls in demand for youth custody. The budgetary savings to the YJB delivered by each planned reduction in the youth secure estate since 2009-10 total £76 million.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK armed forces personnel are currently stationed at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy as mentors.

Mark Francois: Currently there are 105 UK armed forces personnel filling the role of mentors at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy.

Africa

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what material support the UK army is offering under the Defence and Security Cooperation Treaty to French troops deployed in Mali and the Central African Republic.

Mark Francois: The UK is not offering any British Army equipment or personnel support to French troops deployed in Mali and the Central African Republic under the Lancaster House Treaties of 2010.
	However, other UK support has been provided to support both French and international military operations in Mali and the Central African Republic. I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 18 November 2013, Official Report, columns 699-700W, to the hon. Member for York Central (Hugh Bayley), on 16 December 2013, Official Report, column 476W, to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) and on 6 January 2014, Official Report, column 14W, to the hon. Member for Gainsborough (Sir Edward Leigh).
	The UK is also providing one staff officer in Greece to assist with operational planning for an EU Mission in the Central African Republic.

Aircraft Carriers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what air assets can carry an entire F135 jet engine and deliver it to the Queen Elizabeth class carrier.

Philip Dunne: The F-35 jet engine, which is also known as the F135, as a whole unit cannot be transported by any of the Ministry of Defence's rotary wing assets. The F-35 engine is typically broken down into smaller modules for transportation. The heaviest module is the engine power module which a Chinook aircraft is capable of carrying as an underslung load to deliver it to the Queen Elizabeth class carrier.

Aircraft Carriers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  with reference to the National Audit Office's Major Project Report 2013 Appendices and project summary sheets, what steps he is taking to mitigate the risk posed by insufficient maritime intra-theatre lift assets to support the Joint Combat Aircraft operations aboard Queen Elizabeth class carriers identified in that report;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the ability of the V-22 Osprey to conduct maritime intra-theatre lift to support (a) routine operations aboard Queen Elizabeth class carriers and (b) Joint Combat Aircraft operations aboard Queen Elizabeth class carriers;
	(3)  what assets are available for Maritime Intra-Theatre lift to support the Joint Combat Aircraft aboard Queen Elizabeth class carriers when those aircraft enter service.

Philip Dunne: Maritime Intra Theatre Lift (MITL) is the movement of passengers, mail and cargo between land and sea and within maritime platform groups; movements in support of the Joint Combat Aircraft will form an element of the total MITL requirement. The Response Force Task Group, of which the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers will form a part, includes a range of assets to achieve MITL, including: afloat support, ship's boats, embarked aircraft and other tactical and strategic lift capabilities.
	We expect that the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers will remain in service for up to 50 years. Over this time, a number of complimentary programmes will deliver supporting capabilities, some of which will be related to, and able to deliver, MITL, and are in the Concept Phase of development.

Armed Forces Covenant

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  which local authorities have not yet signed up to the Armed Forces Community Covenant;
	(2)  how many email addresses were on the Community Covenant e-Newsletter distribution lists in each year since 2012.

Anna Soubry: The distribution list for our Community Covenant e-Newsletter is a live document and as such is updated regularly when new additions or amendments are requested. We do not therefore hold this data by year. As at 27 February 2014 there were 598 email addresses on the Community Covenant e-Newsletter distribution list.

Armed Forces Covenant

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many bids were submitted to the Community Covenant Grant Scheme in each region in each year since 2011; and how many such bids were successful in each region and in each year.

Anna Soubry: The following table provides a regional breakdown of bids to the Community Covenant Grant scheme since its launch in June 2011. It has not been possible to readily disaggregate data for financial year (FY) 2011-12 from that held for FY 2012-13.
	
		
			 ' Applications submitted FY 2011-12 and FY 2012-13 Applications successful FY 2011-12 and FY 2012-13 Applications submitted FY 2013-14 Applications successful FY 2013-14 
			 South Central 99 51 53 37 
			 West Midlands 23 10 36 21 
			 North East 79 43 61 29 
			 Wales 11 4 40 24 
			 South East 23 10 39 25 
			 North West 17 4 47 18 
			 South West 71 43 58 35 
			 East of England 42 22 73 47 
			 Scotland 59 22 65 27 
			 London 15 8 19 12 
			 Total 439 217 491 275

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel who successfully transferred to other branches of the armed forces were made redundant since 2010.

Anna Soubry: Between 1 April 2007 and 31 December 2013, 650 UK regular service personnel transferred to another service within the armed forces. 20 of these have left on redundancy since 2010 (numbers are rounded). Information on redundees who had an inter-service transfer before April 2007 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Scotland

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what accommodation is available for the military in (a) Stirling Castle and (b) Edinburgh Castle; and how many personnel can be accommodated at each such location.

Andrew Murrison: No military accommodation is available at Stirling Castle. The accommodation availability for military personnel at Edinburgh Castle is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Type of accommodation Number of bedspaces 
			 Service family accommodation 0 
			 Officers 8 
			 Junior ranks 26 
			 Transit 54 
			 Total 88 
		
	
	The General Officer Commanding for Scotland, who is also the Governor of Edinburgh Castle, has a three bedroom apartment in the castle as part of his Governor of the Castle entitlement.

Army: Training

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many soldiers dropped out of Phase 2 training at the Infantry Training Centre (Catterick) in 2012-13; and how many of these had undertaken Phase 1 training at (a) the Army Foundation College (Harrogate) and (b) the Army Training Regiment (Winchester);
	(2)  how many soldiers who dropped out of Phase 2 training at the Infantry Training Centre (Catterick) in 2012-13 had undertaken Phase 1 training at that Infantry Training Centre.

Anna Soubry: The Combat Infantryman's Course (CIC) is run at the Infantry Training Centre (Catterick) and is a consolidated Phase 1 and Phase 2 training course for infantry (Standard Entry) recruits. Around 1,000 recruits withdrew or were discharged from the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick in 2012-13 before completion of their Phase 2 training, of which around 100 had originally commenced their training at the Army Foundation College, Harrogate. None had previously attended the Army Training Regiment, Winchester.
	Individuals may withdraw or be discharged for a number of reasons, including medical and fitness factors, disciplinary reasons, or voluntary withdrawal. Personnel under 18 have a statutory right to discharge from the armed forces if they wish to leave.

European Defence Agency

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 698W, on European Defence Agency, whether staff of the European Defence Agency paid out of the functional element of its budget perform any roles in the delivery or project management of (a) pooling and sharing and (b) other projects delivered by the agency; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of the functional budget spent on any such activity.

Andrew Murrison: Approximately 70% of the European Defence Agency personnel could be called upon to support the delivery of activities for the common benefit of all participating member states; the remaining 30% are in managerial or support roles. It would not be feasible for the UK to estimate the cost of the agency's facilitation time, which will be depend upon a variety of factors such as the type of activity and the level of participation from member states.

Gurkhas: Redundancy

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement of 23 January 2014, Official Report, column 461, on armed forces' restructuring, how many eligible Gurkhas have applied for compulsory redundancy under the fourth tranche of redundancies to date; what estimate he has made of the proportion of compulsory redundancies among Gurkhas which will be filled by voluntary applications; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: Applications for armed forces redundancy do not close until 6 March 2014. A selection process will follow and those selected for redundancy will be notified on 12 June 2014.
	As the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), said in the House on 23 January 2014, Official Report, column 461, Gurkhas traditionally do not volunteer for redundancy, and we expect the overall percentage of volunteers to be lower in this final round of redundancies than it has been previously.

Reserve Forces

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to his Department was of promotional material for recruitment to each of the reserve forces in each year since 2010.

Anna Soubry: The information requested will take time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

Type 45 Destroyers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates a Type 45 destroyer has lost power resulting in the ship having to return to port for repairs; and where the repairs took place.

Philip Dunne: A Type 45 has never been forced to return to port because of a lack of power or propulsion.

Veterans

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to retain the knowledge possessed by retiring military personnel and officials.

Anna Soubry: Military staff in particular, but also civil service staff, change posts regularly in their career. The need to hand over to their successors, or other staff in their unit, is built into the ways of working for each unit, according to the nature of the job, and is handled at unit level. Retirement is a particular instance of that, differing only because it is not readily possible to ask further information after people have left their service.